


Canyon Bound

by Eryiss



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bickslow and Evergreen are matchmakers, Drinking & Talking, First Meetings, Flirting, Fluff, Fraxus Week 2020, Freed does too but hides it, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Immediate crush, Kissing, Laxus has a crush, Laxus has big emotions, M/M, Modern AU, No characters mentioned though, Set in America, Sharing an RV, Vague Mentions of Past Relationships, discussions of cheating, eating togehter, event, fraxus, roadtrip au, tarot reading, water parks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-14
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24944644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eryiss/pseuds/Eryiss
Summary: After a crappy post-college first year, Laxus jumped at the opportunity to leave town for a week for a road trip with his friends. He intended it just to be a week away with his friends, but when he meets an unfamiliar stranger, the vacation turns into something much more.
Relationships: Laxus Dreyar & Freed Justine, Laxus Dreyar & Raijinshuu, Laxus Dreyar/Freed Justine
Comments: 11
Kudos: 58
Collections: Fraxus Week 2020





	1. Day One - First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> This was written as part of the annual Fraxus Week event hosted by @fuckyeahfraxus on tumblr. This year I’ve decided to make an eight-part multi-chapter fic out of the prompts. They might not be in the correct order, but I think the end product will be worth it. Hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Laxus is forced to wake up early for a road trip, he reluctantly is appreciative of his friends, and he meets a handsome stranger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Meeting Each Other'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter One – Getting Aboard**

It had been Bickslow's idea.

Nobody would think it, but the blue haired idiot was perhaps the most caring of the group, the mother figure, in a way. He wasn't the most conventional 'mom friend', and it certainly didn't diminish his enthusiasm to get drunk off his ass when the opportunity presented itself, but he was always the one keeping an eye out on his friends and knew when something was wrong. Apparently he had seen something was wrong with all three of them, and had come up with this plan on how to fix it.

A road trip to the Grand Canyon. None of his friends knew where the idea had come from, nor did they know why he insisted on renting an RV and driving there instead of getting the train. But the man had this enthusiasm about him that was cast upon them like a spell, and they couldn't find a way to fight it. Perhaps they all knew they needed the break.

Laxus was damn sure he did.

It had been just shy of a year since his graduation from college, and his plan had been to get a job in a gym being a personal trainer. That hadn't happened. He'd gone to many job interviews and nothing had come from any of them, and each rejection had been like a punch to the gut. He knew he couldn't just use his grandfather's money for ever, so had gotten what was meant to be a temporary job in an office while he looked for more appropriate employment. That had been nine months ago, and he hadn't been near to an interview for his chosen career in over half a year.

So far, his post college life had been a failure. Perhaps he had been naïve to think good things would happen instantly, perhaps he just needed to be patient. But the idea of getting away from everything for a week was what he needed.

Even if it was in what he could only assume was a crappy van.

Even if he had to wake up at five thirty to get on the highway before the majority of traffic, for some reason.

Even if one of the people he was traveling with was a stranger.

He had known Bickslow for the longest. They had been friends since they were kids and, although Bickslow moving away for college had meant they weren't as close as they once were, Laxus still considered the man his closest friend. He was chaotic, loyal, and overall just a fun guy. He could be obnoxious, but who couldn't?

Evergreen had come later, when she transferred into their high-school and Bickslow had dragged her into their small group. She was a little haughty at first, but that was clearly a defensive state she took on as the new girl. As they got closer, she showed a snarkier and quick-witted side. She fit in with the two men like the missing piece of a puzzle, even if she had a stupid insistence of hitting them with a fan when annoyed.

But now there was Freed.

Laxus didn't know all that much about Freed. He knew that he went to the same college that Bickslow and Ever did. He knew that he lived a few towns over, about half an hour's drive. He knew that he was a literary and science major. That was it. But both Bix and Ever thought well of him, so he was probably a good person.

"What time is he coming?" Makarov asked, cupping a mug of coffee while sitting at the kitchen table.

"Should be a few minutes," Laxus shrugged, biting into the toast he'd made for himself.

"I don't get why you have to leave this early," Makarov commented, glancing at the clock handing on the wall as sipped his drink. "You're going to be driving for days on end, you'll get caught in traffic anyway. You might as well sleep in to an appropriate time."

"Nobody asked you to see me off," Laxus quirked an eyebrow. He agreed with the sentiment though, he'd much rather leave later and deal with the traffic.

"No, but you seemed determined to bump into everything as you were getting ready and to make as much noise as you could. It's hard to sleep through that," Makarov grinned, clearly trying to get a reaction out of his grandson. "Besides, it's been years since I saw your friends, it'll be nice to see them again. And that new boy you'll be travelling with, I want to mee him too."

"We're picking him up later," Laxus said, crunching another bite of toast; he had burned it.

"Ah," Makarov nodded.

The two men fall into a comfortable quiet, the silence being accompanied by the radio Makarov had insisted turning on despite complaining about all the music they played. Laxus ate his breakfast while his grandfather read the newspaper. Once Laxus was finished, he checked the small suitcase that he had packed for himself to make sure it had everything he needed, then sat back at the kitchen table and waited for his friends to arrive.

A few minutes later he got the text saying that Bickslow was outside. He cracked his back and walked to the front door of the house he shared with his grandfather, and looked upon the large RV that had been parked at the foot of the driveway.

It was an impressive looking vehicle, and probably a good model. The idea to go on this road trip had been made in March, giving the four of them four months to save up enough to hire something relatively luxurious. Bickslow was hanging out of driver's seat window with a wide grin on his face, clearly happy that his plan was starting. Laxus found his enthusiasm infectious, and a small smile graced his lips as he approached.

This was exactly what he needed to put aside the disappointment of the year.

"Hey man," Bickslow greeted with a voice too loud for the time of the morning. He looked past Laxus and grinned wider. "Hey Mr D."

"Morning Bickslow," Makarov greeted from the doorframe, smiling. "Is Evergreen not with you?"

"She's in the back, sleepin'. Told her that it'll take a hell of a lot of beauty sleep not to make her look like that, but she didn't listen to me," He cackled at his own joke, and Laxus chuckled as he saw a hairbrush hit him in the back of his head. "The big guy wake you up, Mr D?"

"What do you think?" Makarov laughed, and Laxus glared at him. Since when was it a known trait that he couldn't keep quiet in the morning?

"See you in a week-old man," Laxus waved his hand, hoping to stop the taunting conversation between his friend and relative. "Try not to die while I'm gone."

"Cheeky brat," Makarov retorted with a grin. "Have fun kids."

Bickslow gave a response in the affirmative while Laxus pulled open the door of the RV, climbing up the steps. It was as nice inside as it was outside, with a small table and seating nook, a cooking area, a bed at the back and a small room that Laxus assumed would be the washroom. Laxus absently wondered if either he or Bickslow would manage to fit in the shower, given their size. But still, it was a nice vehicle and would be more than enough for their week inside of it.

Laxus walked to the front of the vehicle and took the passenger's seat, grinning at the sight of Evergreen with an eye mask on while buckled into the seats surrounding the table. The seat was comfortable enough, and Laxus found himself smiling at the vehicle.

"She's nice, right," Bickslow grinned in reference to the RV. "Best one they had. Turns out four of us not having any fun for months means we save a lot of money."

"Glad to hear it," Laxus chuckled. "I half expected you to pull up in some crappy van with a piss stained mattress in the back."

"Oddly specific there Dreyar. Speaking from experience?" Bickslow grinned, and it was clear that his excitement was going to make him completely obnoxious throughout the week. As annoying as it was, Laxus wouldn't have it any other way. "So, just gonna put this out here. Sleeping situation. The bed at the back fits two, and the table folds away and makes another single bed. Obviously, they'll be two of us in the back. So we can either have Ever and Freed sharing the single bed 'casue we won't fit-"

"Like hell I'm sharing," Ever snapped from her seat. "It'll be cramped enough as it is."

"Or we take turns each night with one of us in that chair," He nodded to the seat Laxus was sitting in. "It reclines and turns slightly, so they'll be enough leg space. It's basically like a plane seat without anyone behind you."

"I'm sure we can manage with that," Laxus nodded. "Wouldn't wanna piss of medusa," A hairbrush hit the back of Laxus' head this time. "How many brushes do you have?"

"Five, they each do different things," Evergreen grunted from her seat, and Laxus chuckled when he saw her put the mask over her eyes again.

"How can they do different things?" Laxus asked.

"They just do, it's why they're all different shapes and have thinner and thicker prongs," Evergreen sighed. "Ask Freed when he gets here, I'm sure he'll know. And that way you won't be talking to me and I can get some sleep."

Laxus decided not to push his luck, knowing that his friend had enough strength to throw a hair dryer at his head, as well as the morality to do so. Instead he leant over to Bickslow, who had pushed the key into the ignition, and spoke softly.

"Why would he know much about hair brushes exactly?" He asked, and Bickslow looked at him with confusion before realisation hit him.

"Sorry, I keep forgetting that you know basically nothing about him," He laughed, turning the key, and starting the engine. It was a powerful machine, and Laxus appreciated it. "Freed's got really long hair, keeps it pretty well looked after too. Goes down to his ass, don't know when he last had it cut. It looks good on him though. Oh, and it's green. Like, bright green."

"Really," Laxus furrowed his brows. "Everything you've said about him makes him seem pretty… strait laced I guess."

"He is, kinda. He's just got green hair," Bickslow shrugged, smiling wide. "He's kinda contradictory when you get to know him. You'll love him, I know it baby."

Bickslow revved the engine unnecessarily, waved out the window with an overly loud 'Bye Mr D!' as he did so, and started to pull out from Laxus' neighbourhood. Laxus gave his grandfather a small wave in goodbye, and saw the old man return the gesture. He leant back in his comfortable chair and allowed the gentle vibrations of the vehicle moving to calm him, closing his eyes softly as the warm sun hit his face through the front window.

This was exactly what he had needed after the year he'd had, and even the idea of being in the RV with a stranger didn't put a damper on his mood.

* * *

It had taken about forty minutes to get into the town Freed had lived in, and only a little while longer to get to his apartment. The building wasn't the nicest looking place in the world, and Bickslow explained that Freed lived by himself and financed his own life through his student loan and a job. Laxus didn't judge him; that was an admirable thing to do and he couldn't look down on his because he lived in a slightly crappy apartment building.

Honestly, for some reason he had expected a spoiled kid.

"Could you go up and get him?" Bickslow asked, looking towards Laxus.

"Can't you text him?"

"Nah, he takes hours to answer any texts, so I never know if he actually reads them quickly or not. Don't wanna be waiting down here for ages," Bickslow shrugged, and then grinned. "Besides, it'll give the two of ya a chance to get to know each other before you get trapped in here with us. Makes it less awkward."

Laxus sighed, but nodded. He was almost certain that getting to know Freed was the only reason he had been chosen to find the man, but he couldn't prove it as he didn't know if Bickslow's claim about his texting etiquette was true or not. He shifted his way out of the RV, Bickslow shouting the man's apartment number and the code for the door as he did so. Once he closed the door, he could swear that he heard the two speaking in the van, but ignored it.

The apartment building wasn't run down, but it was lacking luxury. Paint was peeling off some of the walls and the elevator opened with a horrid creak. Laxus walked into it and pushed the button for the ninth floor.

A ridiculous bubble of nervousness entered his stomach as the elevator started to ascend. He had never been talented socially, and his communication skills were both blunt and often uncared for. This had meant he never truly got used to being around new people, and it took him a while to warm up with most people. And now he was going to be stuck in a pretty small RV for around a week with a man he didn't know. He knew that his friends were good judges of characters and they assured him that they'd get along, but Laxus still could be nervous about meeting him.

Once the lift had found the right floor, Laxus looked around and settled on the sixth apartment's door. He knocked it curtly, the sound echoing awkwardly in the hallway. Laxus fidgeted for a moment before it was opened, revealing Freed.

"Oh," The man said in a velvet smooth voice. "Hello."

"Hey," Laxus greeted. "I'm Laxus, Bickslow might have told you about me. He said to come get you."

"Of course," The man said, and offered him a smile.

It was a nice smile. In fact the entirety of the man was nice to look at. He had long green hair, as Bickslow had said, and it was tied up in a high pony tail. A few green strands had fallen down to frame his face, accenting his sharp features, and pronounced bone structure. His outfit portrayed a fit body, and the unassigned top button showed a small slather of a firm chest. He had piercing blue eyes, a small black mark high on his left cheek, and thin lips.

When his eyes flickered down, he saw that the man had two large sports bags at his feet, clearly his own luggage. Laxus was suddenly reminded of why he was there, and snapped out of his split-second trance.

"You need help with them?" He offered.

"I'm fine," Freed assured him. "Although you could hold this if you don't mind."

He reached for a shelf in his apartment and picked up a small plastic thermos, handing it to Laxus. The blonde took it and looked at it with confusion. "Doesn't it make more sense for you to hold your own drink. I really don't mind taking a bag."

"It's not for me," Freed explained, lifting his bags out of his apartment, and placing them down to lock the door. "I shared a morning class with Evergreen, and she was snappy enough at eight in the morning, let alone half six. I assumed she might need some caffeine."

"Yeah, both me a Bix got a hairbrush thrown at us already," Laxus laughed. "Probably a good call."

"I would have made the two of you one as well," Freed stated as they walked down the hall. "But I don't know what you drink, and I don't believe that Bickslow needs any help in being overly energetic."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure my grandpa's neighbour is gonna complain because of the shouting," Laxus grinned a little as he called the elevator. His friends were a topic he could handle.

"I'm surprised he didn't try and get my attention by yelling from the sidewalk."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that the only reason he sent me up here is so we can talk without them being there," Laxus admitted, before wondering if it was appropriate to say so. Was it meant to be a secret?

"It makes sense," Freed nodded. "They haven't really told me too much about you. I know your name, that you're a year older than us, and that you went to college to become trained in sports science and physiotherapy. That's essentially it."

"Well, that's all true," Laxus said as he walked into the open elevator. "I haven't gotten a job in my field yet, so I took a temp job. But I'm still looking. Bix said you've got a job as well as going to college?"

"I'm a waiter at Blue Pegasus, a restaurant a few blocks away," Freed explained. "It's not the most interesting work, but the pay is enough to keep me stable. And sometimes I'll get a meal at the end of the shift for free, so I can't complain."

Laxus nodded, understanding the conflict of working at a job that doesn't thrill you without having the option of quitting. The elevator started to slide down, and a repetitive tone began to play in the small box. Neither man spoke, and Laxus would have expected the urge to fill the silence, but it didn't come. For whatever reason, he felt comfortable with not speaking when Freed was around, something that didn't happen to him often.

Thinking back, the last time he had been okay in silence with a stranger had been Evergreen.

They reached the bottom floor hallway of the building a moment later, and Laxus held open the front door for Freed so the man could walk out without dropping his bags. When they walked into the morning sun, Laxus found himself momentarily transfixed by the sight of the man under natural light.

He looked radiant.

His slightly paler skin seemed to glow in the sunlight, and his perfectly brushed hair shimmered in the light. His eyes even seemed to sparkle as he approached the comparatively dull vehicle that was their home for the next week. Laxus' grip on the thermos tightened slightly as he walked forward.

"Just opened the storage," Bickslow commented from the window. "Put your bags in there, so we have space."

Freed nodded, walking to the small storage cubby that was opened from the side of the truck. He placed his bags down and opened it, and Laxus walked beside him. Freed placed one of the bags into the RV's trunk equivalent, and Laxus lifted the other to do the same. It held a fair amount of weight to it, and Laxus found himself impressed that the man had managed to lift this and another bag without any difficulty. Maybe the bulging in his sleeves wasn't just vanity muscles, as Laxus had assumed.

"Thank you," Freed nodded towards Laxus, closing the storage space.

"It's fine," Laxus assured him.

The two men climbed inside the RV, being greeted by a still too cheery 'welcome to the party bus' form Bickslow. Laxus saw that, in his time in the building, Evergreen had taken the front seat and was reclining in it with the eye mask on and a blanket covering her body. He rolled his eyes, placed the drink in a cup holder on the dash, and looked back over the RV's interior. The only place you could sit while it moved were in the table booth that Freed was sitting at. Laxus took the seat opposite him.

As he got into the leather booth, he saw that Freed had taken out a novel and was scanning the paged with quick moving eyes. The sun was hitting his face just right and illuminated it in a damn impressive way. Annoyingly, Laxus blushed

"All aboard," Bickslow yelled. "Next stop, the Grand Canyon."

And, with a pleasant nervousness in his stomach as he looked at Freed, Laxus found himself excited for the journey.


	2. Day Two - He Likes Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the group decide to treat themself for a diner breakfast, Laxus is given a semblance of hope, and Freed has a secret revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'He Likes Guys'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Two – Breakfast Together**

"We should have gotten the train," Evergreen muttered, cracking her back. "Why didn't we get the train?"

As he stretched his legs, Laxus shared the sentiment. They had parked the RV overnight in a small camping site and slept there for the night. Evergreen had taken the single bed, Bickslow and Freed shared the double, and Laxus had been left to curl up in the reclining front seat. It had been Laxus' suggestion he take the seat, claiming that Bickslow deserved a bed after driving most of the day, and Evergreen would probably murder the three of them if she hadn't been given a bed after being woken up early.

There was also another reason. The possibility of sharing the bed with Freed.

Laxus had always felt strongly. He was ruled by emotions, and they overtook him quickly. He had never had a good handle on controlling how he felt, and right now he felt something akin to a crush on Freed. The man was incredibly handsome, and fun to be around. He fell into line with the teasing nature of the friendship group, was smart, and had a bit of a snarky side. It was great.

But Laxus was also a rationalist. He hadn't had a long-term relationship before, and he knew that this was just a crush. He would get over it by the end of the week, he just needed to be patient and careful. And risking a chance of sharing a bed with the man was not being careful.

When he woke up with a crick in his back, he regretted his choice.

After they had all woken up, Bickslow had informed them that they would be getting breakfast at a nearby Truckstop Diner to celebrate their first full day at being on the road. Nobody disagreed, and they had arrived there by nine. It was a quaint little place, and the smell of cooking bacon hitting his senses made Laxus' stomach groan.

"Because getting the train is boring," Bickslow grinned. "And on the train we can't leave you behind on the road if you keep complaining."

"Please do, it's better than being trapped in a box with you," Evergreen muttered.

The four of them walked to a small table in the back corner of the restaurant, Laxus letting his two friends playfully squabble between themselves as he looked over the breakfast menu; it was pretty much what he expected. The promise of bacon pancakes made his stomach growl again. When he caught sight of Freed glancing at him with a grin, he reddened slightly.

"Shut up," He muttered, but had the smallest of grins on his face.

"I didn't say anything," Freed chuckled, which was a rather nice sound. "Although one of us should probably go to the counter, those two probably won't stop if we don't make them."

"They like this at college then?" Laxus asked with a smile.

"Once in the cafeteria they had an argument that lasted about an hour about if college got their chicken nuggets from the same place that McDonalds got theirs," Freed chuckled. "At some point Bickslow actually emails the president of the college to see if it was right. He didn't get a reply and pouted about it for a week."

"Seems about right," Laxus grinned. "Did Ever keep arguing with him to piss him off?"

"Of course," Freed chuckled, then looked towards the other two. "I'm going to order, what do the two of you want?"

They both relayed their orders to him, and he shifted out of the chair and towards the counter. Laxus almost managed not to sneak a glance at the man's retreating form, but failed. In his defence, the man had a damn good physique and the fact his trousers hugged his thighs and ass were not Laxus' fault. Thankfully, both Evergreen and Bickslow had fallen into another argument between themselves and hadn't noticed Laxus' wandering eyes.

Trying to distract himself, Laxus glanced out the large window and looked at the long expanse of land before him. He had lived in Magnolia for the majority of his life and had always been surrounded by things, both people and buildings. This had been why he always liked going on vacation with his grandfather; everything seemed so open in the coast.

Again, Laxus found himself glad that Bickslow had insisted he come. This was what he needed after the disappointment of the last year. But he _was_ getting a bed tonight. Even if he had to share the thing with the guy he was crushing on.

When put like that, his problem seemed pretty insubstantial.

With the man at the front of his mind again, Laxus allowed his gaze to drift back towards him. The man was talking to the woman behind the counter, smiling at her in a way that made Laxus feel just a little bit disappointed. There seemed to be a clear flirtation in the man's expression, and the blush on the woman's face probably meant that the whatever he was saying was equally flattering. As utterly ridiculous as it felt, Laxus found himself feeling slightly jealous at the display.

"Think we're gonna have someone else in the truck tonight," Laxus muttered, trying not to sound bitter.

"What?" Evergreen asked.

Both she and Bickslow looked towards the counter, as Laxus hadn't removed his gaze. They both seemed amused by the display, and Evergreen even laughed, which forced Laxus to look at her with both annoyance and confusion.

"He's not flirting, baby," Bickslow explained. "He's a natural charmer. Doesn't even realise he's doing it. Poor girl."

"He looks pretty into it," Laxus mumbled.

"He likes men, Laxus," Evergreen laughed again, and the blonde snapped his gaze onto the woman. He hadn't expected that; he'd hoped, but that was just wishful thinking.

"Really?" He asked, and his voice thankfully didn't show the hopefulness.

"Yeah," Evergreen smiled. "If not, his boyfriend might be a bit disappointed."

A lot of things happened when Evergreen said that. A rushing of disappointment filled Laxus, because Freed was of course in a relationship and Laxus wasn't the type of man who felt for people in relationships. Evergreen reached into her pocket to pull out her phone and typed away at it, claiming that Freed's twitter icon was of him kissing his boyfriend. And Bickslow quickly tensed up and looked away.

"Oh, he must have changed it," Evergreen hummed, clicking into his account. "They'll be pictures though."

It was then that Laxus realised that Bickslow was acting weird, staring directly at the obnoxiously red table. It took a few seconds for Laxus to guess why the man had gotten so awkward, and his assumption was proven when Evergreen spoke again.

"Oh," She whispered.

"What?" Laxus asked.

"His relationships status, he's…" She looked up towards Freed, who was still talking to the woman at the counter. "One second."

She left the table and walked towards Freed, and Laxus glanced towards Bickslow again. The man was looking down at the table still, and he was shifting in his seat awkwardly. Laxus stared toward him and almost glared, because it was pretty damn clear that the other man had known Freed was single. How he knew, Laxus didn't know, because it must have been a secret if Evergreen hadn't known.

"You knew, didn't you?" Laxus eventually said.

"Kinda," Bickslow admitted. "Bumped into Freed after it happened. He needed someone to talk to, I was there."

"Is he okay?" Laxus asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"No idea, the guy kinda closes himself off with his emotions. You can never tell with him," Bickslow sighed. "I was shocked when he said he was still coming with us, honestly. I wanted him to come because he had a bad year – college has been a lot harder than we all thought it would be – and I thought the asshole leaving him might have been the final straw."

"Why didn't ya tell anyone?"

"Freed asked me not to," Bickslow sighed. "He doesn't like people fussing over him. Definitely doesn't want it from a stranger, so don't get all weird around him," Laxus nodded at the request, and Bickslow relaxed slightly. "Good. And honestly, I'm kinda glad. They weren't great together, and now he gets to meet you while he's single."

"Bickslow," Laxus hissed. "He just got out of a relationship-"

"I'm not setting the two of you up," Bickslow assured him, putting his hands up in defence. "It's just, I've always thought you'd be good together. Maybe as friends, maybe boyfriends. And now that he's single he gets to make his own opinion of you without worrying about making the asshat jealous. This way he gets to know you on his own terms. It's why I hardly told the two of you anything about each other."

"Sounds like you're trying to set us up," Laxus muttered.

"I'm not, I promise," Bickslow assured him. "And besides, I saw ya checking out his ass. Like you'd complain about me setting ya up with him."

Laxus didn't say anything, instead blushed slightly and glanced over towards Freed and Evergreen. They had walked away from the counter where Freed had placed the order, and were having a hushed conversation with each other. Freed didn't look particularly sad about it, in fact he seemed to be the one reassuring Evergreen. Laxus could only assume that Freed was assuring the woman that he was okay, and not a heartbroken mess. It was clear that Bickslow's request that Laxus not treat him as if he might break with a wrong word was the right thing to do.

He could do that. He had never been blessed socially, now that was to his advantage.

* * *

It turned out to be harder than he thought.

The issue lay in the fact that Laxus didn't know Freed. He didn't know how to talk to the man in a normal situation, never mind the kind of situation where he wasn't able to talk about the elephant in the room. So, as to keep his promise to Bickslow, Laxus had decided not to speak at all. Which, as much as Laxus wished it wasn't, was awkward.

Eating breakfast had been relatively easy, as Laxus had allowed himself to focus on the food rather than the people at the table. Given how loud his stomach had been growling, nobody had thought it was odd that Laxus didn't say anything, and the large portion of bacon meant that he was the last to finish. The awkwardness came after, when Laxus suddenly found himself at a loss for words as to what to say to Freed.

It couldn't continue for the rest of the week. It just couldn't.

So when the two men were left alone – Bickslow was filling the RV with gas and Evergreen had gone to the bathroom – Laxus saw this as good a chance as any to talk to the man. He jogged towards the man, who was leaning against a wall of the diner, and met his gaze when he looked up at him. He really did have strikingly blue eyes.

"Hey," Laxus said; he should have thought about what he was going to say beforehand.

"Hey," Freed repeated, a small look of amusement on his face. "I thought you were ignoring me in favour of bacon."

"Oh, you picked up on that," Laxus chuckled awkwardly, cringing slightly.

"If you looked any harder at it then it might have caught fire," Freed said with a teasing grin.

"Sorry," Laxus cringed at himself again. "Look. So, Bickslow told me. That you were dating a guy and that you're not anymore. And he said not to bring it up, or to treat you weird, which is what I'm gonna try and do. But I might mention it without thinking, or be weird. I can't promise I won't. But I thought that, me trying to be normal and potentially fucking up is better than if I was just awkward and trying not to say anything that might upset ya," Laxus rubbed the back of his neck with a painful expression on his face. "It's pretty clear I ain't being subtle about it."

"Thank you," Freed said, his smile now more genuine. "I had expected that was the reason you were suddenly being strange. Honestly I'm shocked Evergreen didn't find out sooner."

"She's protesting twitter because Erza – a girl she used to have some stupid rivalry with – got verified," Laxus supplied, and Freed laughed a little.

"That sounds accurate," He chuckled. "And I'm glad that you spoke to me rather than trying to avoid me. I do appreciate what Bickslow meant when he told you not to treat me differently, but I think it's better to not have something hanging over us for the rest of the week."

"Me too," Laxus nodded, and relief flooded him. He had worried he would offend Freed by talking about it.

"Speaking of things hanging over us, you owe me two more dollars for breakfast," Freed said, and Laxus furrowed his brow slightly. He had been sure he had given the right amount for his meal. When he looked at the man, Freed was grinning. "It costed two extra dollars for the added bacon I got for you."

"Why did ya get me more bacon?" Laxus asked with a chuckle.

"Partly because I could hear your stomach from half a mile away," Freed grinned, and Laxus felt a small grin form on his own face. "And partly because I expect someone with your physique is completely obsessed with protein."

The teasing insult almost made Laxus miss the fact Freed had noticed his physique. Almost.

"Pretty big assumption your making there," Laxus chuckled, deciding not to think about the fact Freed had apparently taken note of his body. It was obvious, not exactly something he could have missed. "And you're the one who wanted the bacon, not me. So I ain't paying for it."

"It's funny you think you have a choice in the matter," Freed grinned, and Laxus found himself entranced by it. "And as for making assumptions, I'm quite sure I'm correct. Given that I saw you looking at the calorie value of the microwave meal we had last night, it just makes sense that you like to know the nutrients of food. And, of course, the amount of protein you intake."

"You don't know that's what I was looking at," Laxus muttered. "I could've just liked the packaging."

"That seems likely," Freed commented sarcastically, and they started walking across the parking lot and towards the RV, that Bickslow had parked up. "But if you unlocked your phone right now, you'd definitely have some kind of nutrition app."

"I don't," Laxus lied. He had two.

"Laxus, if you can prove that to me right now then I will give you a hundred dollars cash and I'll about a thousand push-ups," Freed deadpanned, holding Laxus' gaze.

The blonde tried to maintain eye contact for a while, and was almost tempted to pull out his phone, try to subtly delete the two apps on his phone just to wipe the smug expression off the man's face. Not that it would work, of course, but it would be nice to give the man a hit to his ego while making some money. And watching him attempt to do that many push-ups would be… delightful. Would his shirt ride up? Would Laxus see his muscles flex and strain? And if he managed it, just how hot would that be?

It was for the best that Laxus couldn't prove his point, really.

"Being smug ain't a good look," Laxus muttered, and Freed laughed his smooth laugh again.

"I think I pull it off better than most," Freed grinned before climbing into the RV before Laxus.

He wasn't going to say anything, but Laxus found himself unable to disagree. He grinned as he climbed into the truck and took the seat opposite Freed. This contrast between the awkwardness of the diner table and the one they were sat at now was clear, with how easier this felt.

Too busy grinning, Laxus missed Bickslow's own smile and glinting eyes.


	3. Day Three - Losing Control

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a waterpark causes a distraction for Bickslow, Laxus is forced to endure a unique kind of torture, and a gamble is made between men.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Losing Control'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Three – A Small Diversion**

Laxus hadn't expected to enjoy driving the RV as much as he did. He thought it would have been a lot heavier, more susceptible to the wind of the open highway, but it was actually quite pleasant a vehicle. Well, it could be pleasant. The pleasantness was slightly affected when, out of nowhere, a strong hand slammed onto his shoulder with overexcited glee, and then another hand interrupted his vision while pointing to a billboard.

"We have to go!" Bickslow exclaimed. "We just have to."

"Go where?" Evergreen asked from her seat in the van.

"To the largest and most splish-splashiest waterpark in this and the surrounding states," Bickslow almost yelled as he read off the billboard. "Now fixed with a wave pool, lazy river and two new splashtastic waterslides that are a thrill ride for the whole family."

"You sound like a poorly produced radio advert," Freed commented from the passenger side seat, smiling. "Also, I don't think any of us packed swimsuits."

"There's a town right before the park," Bickslow said with glee, and it was clear that he had set his mind on the idea and it would take a lot to convince him otherwise. Laxus wouldn't have been shocked if Bickslow had planned it out beforehand. "They'll have a clothing store with swimsuits, right? It's be weird if they didn't. Come on babies, we have to go!"

"That actually sounds quite nice," Evergreen commented, flicking through her phone. "It'll be nice to get out of here for more than the length of a meal. And it's not like we have to rush to the canyon and back."

"Are you sure?" Freed asked. "I thought Laxus worked, you probably only had a limited time off."

"I claimed two weeks," Laxus shrugged. "Knew we might get distracted, and I was planning on working on some shit around the house before I went back to the office, so I'm not worried about time."

"So we can go!" Bickslow cheered.

Laxus grinned a little at the mans near childlike enthusiasm, and then glanced towards the large billboard to see which exit he would need to leave at. He too was looking forward to spending some time out of the RV where they wouldn't be in a coffee shop, fast food place or a diner. Despite the fact they had only been on the road for three days, Laxus had wanted more than a rushed hour of eating crappy food out of the truck. Even if it was just an afternoon at a water park, that was better than stretching his legs in a parking lot.

It took him a moment to realise that Bickslow hadn't removed his hand from his shoulder, and Laxus frowned a little. When he glanced to the man behind him he saw him grinning wide at him, and Laxus suddenly felt quite unnerved.

"Just thought it fair to warn ya," Bickslow began again, his voice quieter now. "Freed swims as part of his work out. He wears a speedo, and I know from experience that he's one of the guys who can pull it off. So have fun with that."

Bickslow patted his shoulder firmly, and Laxus spent the drive into the next town trying desperately not to think about it.

Mercifully the drive wasn't that long, and they soon found themselves in a sports clothing store that boasted a wide range of swimwear. Another mercy for Laxus' sanity came from when he caught Freed picking out a pair of swimming shorts, meaning the blonde wouldn't be tormented by the sight of the man in nothing but tight spandex. When he diverted his gaze from the man, he saw Bickslow grinning at him, and he started to wonder how easy it would be to leave the guy at the roadside. He doubted that Freed or Ever would have any complaints.

When they entered the water park itself, Laxus was thankfully distracted. The place was a lot more impressive than Laxus had expected, with multiple waterslides coming from a central 'volcano'. There were many simple pools bordering the more exciting parts, a large river with people lounging on inflatables, and even a floating obstacle course that would have looked perfectly in place in some kind of game show. There was multiple food outlets and seating areas scattered through the premises. The fact that schools were still open meant that it was relatively empty as well, meaning the crowds that Laxus had been expecting didn't exist.

It had earned its title as the best and most splish-splashiest water park in the area. Laxus hated that he remembered the damn slogan.

"Well, since you boring bastards are probably gonna take for ever to do something fun, I'm gonna guess I'm going up the slide alone for now," Bickslow grinned, tugging his shirt over his head. "See ya later, kids."

Laxus shook his head slightly as he followed Evergreen and Freed towards one of the seating areas where they had both chairs and sun loungers.

"I bet you that he planned this," Freed commented, stepping in line with Laxus.

"I don't take bets I know I can't win," Laxus grinned, watching as his friend ran towards the plastic volcano. "Honestly, wouldn't be shocked if this was the only reason he wanted to go on the road trip at all. Going to the canyon is just an excuse."

"Perhaps," Freed chuckled. "I wouldn't mind if that's the case, I'm enjoying myself either way."

In a weird way, Laxus was glad to hear it. It wasn't as if he had to look after Freed; if he was anyone's responsibility, he would be Bickslow's. But after finding out that he had recently gotten out of a relationship that he'd been in for months, according to Bickslow, it was nice to know that he was enjoying himself. At the thought, Laxus had to wonder if that might have been the reason why they were at the water park. To give them all a day of stupid childish fun where they could forget about their problems.

Or maybe Bickslow just wanted to go on a slide called the Spine Snapper. Was that appropriate for a kid's ride?

Evergreen had quickly pulled a sun lounger close to a table, and was applying sun screen to herself. Freed had taken a seat at the table, under the shade of a large umbrella, and had opened the book he'd been reading on and off throughout the trip. Laxus took a seat adjacent to him, sliding in his headphones and reclining in the chair, allowing the warm sun to hit his face. He'd get in the water eventually, but at that moment he just wanted to relax.

Hopefully, he wouldn't fall asleep. Sharing a small double bed with Bickslow had given him less sleep that sleeping in a chair on his own.

He closed his eyes and placed his arms behind his neck, resting on them in quiet content. He had gone to place like this as a child with his grandfather, and had always greatly enjoyed them. And as different as the place seemed when he was an adult and couldn't run around like an idiot – unlike Bickslow – it was a weirdly nostalgic moment. It was nice to relax for a while, and not worry about the future as he had been doing for months.

"The heats starting to get too much," Freed commented after a while, and Laxus looked towards him. "I think I'm going to swim for a while to cool off."

The moment Freed looked to remove the billowy white shirt he wore, Laxus averted his eyes. He knew it was completely pointless, they planned to be at the park all day and there was no way he could last the whole time without seeing him shirtless, but at least he could stop himself from seeing the man undress.

"Have fun," Evergreen said with a bored tone, looking over her sunglasses.

"Try to look out for Bickslow," Laxus said with a grin, still keeping his eyes away from Freed. "He'll somehow fly out of a slide and land on ya if you're not careful."

"Oh don't worry, I'm always cautious of flying Bickslows," Freed said with a laugh before walking away.

Laxus shot a glance at his retreating form again. The musculature of his back and the firmness of his legs were really hot, and Laxus had to look away to stop himself from gawking. He knew that the man had some muscle on him, but he hadn't quite expected that much. The blonde almost regretted not looking at the front of his torso when he was undressing.

From the sound of shifting water, Freed had chosen to populate a pool near them. Laxus made sure to look down at his phone, scrolling down his playlist for something to do. He was unaware of Evergreen rolling her eyes at him from behind her glasses.

For a while, Laxus managed to distract himself with his phone or staring absently anywhere that wasn't near Freed. But eventually, when he realised that Freed was swimming lengths of the pool he was in, Laxus found his resolve fading slightly. He was elegantly vicious as he swam, speeding from side to side of the large pool with powerful stroke that highlighted his strong arms and legs. Laxus found himself temporarily unable to look away, and was only distracted when Freed reached the end of the pool and went to turn back. He would clearly see Laxus staring at him when he came up for air, and it wouldn't be easy to explain why.

"I'm gonna get a drink," Laxus said suddenly, standing up and looking to Evergreen. "You want anything."

"Ice tea if they have it, water if they don't," Evergreen requested.

Laxus nodded and turned tail quickly, walking to the nearest snack bar. He relayed his order to the vendor, who quickly got to work getting what he wanted. Laxus absently tapped his fingers on the top of the counter, trying to distract himself from the fact his crush was swimming beautifully behind him and had no idea the effect he was having on Laxus.

He couldn't even understand it himself.

Sure, Laxus had always been dominated by his feelings. It was what had fuelled his rebellious and angst-ridden teenage years – well, that and his crappy relationship with his equally crappy father – but this was somewhat abnormal. Laxus got crushes relatively often, and it hadn't been as intense as this before. And he couldn't explain it by saying it was because he was trapped with the man, because Laxus' crush on his college roommate had been gone in a day. Nor could he blame it on the fact the man was swimming, because Laxus often found guys at the gym hot and he'd endured a communal shower with a few of them, and hadn't been this awkward.

He was quickly losing control of this crush, and it needed to stop.

Because a relationship was probably the last thing Freed wanted right now. Bickslow had been vague about what Freed's relationship had been like, but said it had started before Christmas, meaning it had been lasted almost half a year. Having a break up after that long would leave some kind of an affect, and Bickslow had stated Freed closed himself off emotionally. He probably wanted time to heal, and friends to be around.

"That's four fifty, sir," The person behind the counter requested. Laxus handed him the money, still deep in through.

He just needed to be there for Freed as much as a friend of a friend could be. They would joke, have fun together, and hopefully become friends. That was all Laxus needed to do to keep control of everything.

That promise lasted the exact amount of time it took for Laxus to return to the table.

He happened to glance towards the pool, and fate decided to be a dick to him. Because Freed had not only stopped swimming, but had also just finished dunking his head in the water. He was now standing waist deep in the water, facing towards Laxus and giving him an unhindered view of his strong, mouth-watering body. Water was glinting in the sun as it dripped down his toned stomach, and his hair was plastered to his back. He had his eyes closed and looked deeply content, and Laxus felt his breath catch in his throat.

The entire situation was a slow-motion effect and sensual music away from being a damn made for tv movie. Laxus had even froze so the drink he was placing on the table was hovering an inch above it.

"I don't know why you just don't talk to him," Evergreen said, snapping Laxus out of his trance. "Flirt with him. Nobody's as pretty as you and doesn't know how to make good use of it."

"What?" Laxus frowned, looking to Evergreen. She's removed her sunglasses and was giving him an unimpressed look.

"You've been mooning over him since you saw him," Evergreen continued. "Why don't you actually try and do something about it instead of driving yourself crazy gawping at him."

"I haven't," Laxus said indignantly. Evergreen didn't even try to hide her disbelief at that. After a moment, Laxus spoke again in a mutter. "Has he noticed?"

"No," Evergreen said passively. "He's too cocky not to have flirted back if he knew. Which is why I'm telling you to make the first move. You'd be good together."

"He just got out of a relationship," Laxus said with a slight sigh.

"He's not a wounded little bird Laxus. He's a grown man," Evergreen said, and her tone was almost comforting. "And more importantly, so are you. His old boyfriend… I don't even know why they were together at the end. Or at the start, really. The two of you have a lot in common, a lot more than you'd think. You're similar enough to get along, but you're not clones of each other. Honestly, I think you'd be a good couple, so why not go for it?"

"It's just a crush," Laxus shrugged.

"Which is what you always say," Evergreen persisted, sighing. "You're never going to have anything other than a crush if you don't let yourself act on something. And Freed's the perfect guy to do it with," Laxus didn't say anything. "Just think about it. Oh, and the human torpedo's coming, so prepare yourself."

Laxus looked towards where Evergreen was now looking, to see Bickslow jogging towards them with something in his hand. He gestured for Freed to follow him, which the other man did, as he approached the table. He was panting, red faced and grinning even wider than usual.

"That was kick ass!" He proclaimed loudly. "It's terrifying, you have to do it. Look."

He placed the thing in his hand on the table, and showed it to be a picture similar to those you'd get from an amusement park. It contained Bickslow sliding down a multicoloured tube, with a face that could only be described as a mixture of terror and exhilaration. The fact that he looked at all scared was impressive to Laxus, given how much of a thrill seeker Bickslow could be. Maybe the ride had earned its imposing name.

Laxus' train of thought left him when a gentle chuckle could be heard behind him.

Freed was standing behind him. Freed was half naked, dripping wet, and looking over his shoulder. Laxus couldn't help but tense slightly, hoping to god that the man didn't notice. He did see Bickslow grinning at him, so he wasn't being as subtle as he wanted, but Freed seemed to be too interested in the picture to pay attention to him.

"If it scared you that much, I don't think it's likely you'll get any of us on it," Freed said with a grin.

"Aw, you three ain't just gonna sit here and be boring all day. The two of you ain't even wet yet," Bickslow pouted at Laxus and Evergreen. "You have to do something fun."

"I was actually thinking of going on that," Freed said, motioning to the inflatable obstacle course floating on the largest pool. "I thought one of you might want to race me, to make it a little interesting. Though, I doubt that Laxus would."

Laxus turned towards the man with an expression of shock, and was met with a challenging gaze. It was a good look on the man.

"Why wouldn't I wanna race ya?"

"Well, as you said earlier, you don't get involved in a bet that you can't win," Freed said as if it were obvious, and the cockiness of the man practically radiated off him. He was also crossing his arms, which highlighted the size and refinement of his biceps. A rather unfair tactic, even if not intentional.

"You think I can't beat ya?" Laxus said incredulously.

"I don't think you have a chance," Freed smirked.

"Well, you wanna make this serious then we can make this serious," Laxus said with an equally confident grin. "We race. The loser has to go on that back breaker ride-"

"Spine Snapper," Bickslow corrected.

"Spine Snapper," Laxus amended, not looking away from Freed. "The loser has to go on that, buy the picture and make it the icon of all their socials, as well as the lock screen picture on their phone for the rest of summer," Laxus shot out a hand for Freed to shake. "Deal?"

"It's your dignity, you can lose it however you please," Freed said with a grin, shaking Laxus hand with enough strength to send a thrill down his spine.

He couldn't focus on that, as Freed had darted towards the floating course. Laxus followed after him, leaving their friends to watch in equal amusement and tiredness.

* * *

It had been a good day, Laxus thought.

Though it might have started off rocky, with Laxus feeling as though his crush was starting to affect his budding friendship with Freed, it had gotten better as the day went on. Particularly good was when Laxus had proven Freed wrong in his assumption that he couldn't win the race on the obstacle course. It was incredibly satisfying to sit over him and watch as he changed all his social media icons to a picture of him yelling while going down the incredibly steep water slide.

That had seemed to break any ice between them, and the rest of the day had been spent having an easy and fun time together. They'd eaten, laughed, and at one point thrown Evergreen into the wave pool against her will; she had gotten back at Bickslow, the ringleader of the prank, by pouring ice cubes down the back of his shorts. It was child like fun, and Laxus felt like he needed it.

They had only left the water park when the sun had started to set. That had been a few hours ago, and they were back on the road again. It was pitch black now, the only light coming from the headlights of the truck and the few spotlights inside of it.

For quite a while now, Laxus was the only one awake.

Bickslow had been the first to go, falling asleep in the passenger seat and snoring gently. Evergreen was next, curling up on the bed despite Laxus' insistence that she not lie on it while they were moving. Freed was last, resting on his arms while leaning on the table, headphones plugged into his ears.

Laxus was quite enjoying the quiet of both the road and the RV. As much as he enjoyed spending time with his friends, they were all quite large personalities, and it was nice being able to sit in the quiet after the loud day he'd had. The fact that he could see the stars out of his windscreen was an added extra.

As the night went on, and Laxus found himself getting tired, he found a small truck stop that would allow for overnight parking. He pulled off the highway and into the parking lot, switching the engine off.

He was met with a sound that bordered on breathing and snoring. He looked over his shoulder and saw Freed was the source. He grinned a little.

Moving around the RV with as much cautious as he could, he made sure to lock all the doors and close and bolt all the windows. Then, once done, he gently shook Freed's shoulder to wake him up, but to no avail. He tried a few more times, but the man seemed unwilling to wake up. With a soft smile, Laxus carefully shifted his position so he was crouching. He cautiously hooked his arm under Freed's legs and lifted him up, the sleeping man showing no sign of waking.

He slowly moved him to the double bed, placing him beside Evergreen and resting his head on the pillow. After carefully sliding the covers over the two sleeping people, he gently ran a knuckle down his cheek. His skin was shocking soft.

Instead of lingering on the gesture he had done, he got to work on making the table booth into a makeshift bed. He picked up the travel pillow and tattered blanket and curled up into the bed, closing his eyes and letting the tiredness of the day overtake him. Lacking the energy to fight it, his mind supplied him with many images of Freed through the day, ending on him sleeping.

He definitely had lost control of his crush.


	4. Day Four - Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a storm forced the group off a road, a motel room thankfully has the appropriate number of beds, and alcohol leads to a heart-to-heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Drunk'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Four – Out of the Rain**

The contrast between the two days was ridiculous.

Laxus almost couldn't believe that it had been a day since he was lounging in the hot summer sun, whereas now he was narrowing his eyes as he drove the RV through the onslaught of rain. The storm had come from nowhere and according to the weather forecast, it would be sticking around for the rest of the night. The clouds were thick and covering the stars, meaning it was almost pitch black on the empty roads.

Unlike the day before, everyone was still awake as evening turned to night. They had spent the entire day driving, trying to catch up for the time they'd used at the water park. Bickslow had driven through the morning and early afternoon, and then had switched with Laxus.

At that moment, Laxus was fighting off sleep. They needed to find somewhere to park soon.

Not that they'd have a good night's sleep, though. The sound of rain battering down on the RV echoed loudly, and Laxus knew that it would sway and creak in the wind. It would be safe, but not anywhere near easy to sleep in. All he could do was hope that the forecast was wrong, and that the storm would end a lot quicker than they had stated.

He also hoped that he didn't fall asleep at the wheel.

"We have some money left over from renting the van, don't we?" Evergreen asked Bickslow, looking up from her phone.

"Yeah, a little over a hundred dollars. Why?" Bickslow asked, yawning into the thermos of coffee he was drinking.

"Well, there's nowhere close that'll let us park up and stay in the truck," Evergreen said, and Laxus cussed under his breath. "But there is a motel at the next rest stop. We should be able to get two double rooms with that."

"Sounds good," Laxus nodded. "Nobody's got a problem with that?"

When everyone agreed it was the best use of their spare money, Laxus got the directions from Evergreen and started to drive towards the motel. It was clearly a good choice, as soon after they made it lightning and thunder started splitting apart the sky, with even heavier rain following it. With his tired state, Laxus knew that it was best to get off the roads as soon as they could. It was certainly the safest thing to do.

Eventually they pulled off the highway and followed the illuminated signs to the motel. It was a nice enough looking place, which probably was a lot more welcoming in the day and when it wasn't a storm. It would certainly better than staying in the RV though the night.

Bickslow, who still had the money saved for the RV in his account, was the one who went to the reception. It took him a short while, but he eventually returned to them all with two keys from two double rooms, soaking wet with the water dripping off him. As he dried himself off with a beach towel they had brought yesterday, he claimed that he wished to share a room with Evergreen for the night.

"Why, exactly?" Freed asked, packing the clothes he would need for the night into a bag.

"Because I've had sleepovers with the two of you and you're both really boring," Bickslow claimed. "Evergreen lets me paint her nails and we gossip. You two just like sleeping."

Laxus was almost certain that it wasn't the real reason as to why he wanted to share his room with Evergreen. Given that both of them knew that Laxus had developed a crush on Freed, it seemed likely that this was some way for them to torture him by making him sleep in a room with him and nobody else. If the room they shared only had one bed, he was going to kill the bastard.

"It is appalling how we want to sleep at a sleepover," Freed commented, and Laxus sniggered.

"And that's the kind of boring attitude that makes me and Evergreen the best friends and you two the boring people on the side-lines," Bickslow grinned as he tossed a room key towards Freed, who managed to catch them without difficulty. It was an annoyingly attractive feat. "Room 203. Top floor."

Apparently leaving no room for argument, Bickslow turned is back and started to pack an impromptu overnight bag. Laxus and Freed shared a glance before picking up their own bags. They opened the door to the RV and winced at the rain they needed to walk to.

Despite the fact it had taken less than a minute to get under the protection of the building's veranda, both men had been drenched by the heavy rain. They quickly found their room and unlocked it, and Laxus let out a small breath when he realised that there were indeed two beds waiting for them. It was a nice enough room, with a small kitchenette – if a coffee machine, mini fridge, sink and microwave could be considered that – and a large enough TV mounted onto the wall. The large beds were rather appealing, given how Laxus had been curled up as he slept since they'd left Magnolia.

"It's better than I thought it'd be," Laxus commented, placing his bag at the foot of the nearest bed. "Kinda nice actually."

"It is," Freed agreed, walking to the bathroom and looking into it. "And a shower that might actually fit you inside of it."

Laxus grinned, mainly at the teasing tone in Freed's voice, and glanced into the bathroom to see that there was indeed a large shower. He reached over Freed and picked up one of the towel's hanging up. He started to dry himself off as Freed shucked off his jacket.

"I think I might have a shower before I go to sleep," Freed commented. "I need to wash my hair, might as well do it now."

"Sure," Laxus nodded, then he chuckled. "I get what Bickslow meant when he said we're boring."

"So do I," Freed said thoughtfully. "It's quite annoying that we're proving him right, isn't it," He sighed, and Laxus couldn't help but smirk. Freed really was quite a competitive person; Laxus enjoyed seeing it. "Why don't we try and prove him wrong instead?"

"How d'you suppose we do that?" Laxus asked with furrowed brows. He expected Freed wouldn't want to prove Bickslow wrong in any way Laxus was thinking.

"Well, our judgemental friend payed for this on his card, and all charges from the room will be his to pay," Freed commented absently as he walked towards the small kitchenette, and opened one of the cupboards. "And this place has a rather well stocked mini bar."

Laxus grinned when Freed pulled out a bottle of tequila.

"Sounds like fun."

* * *

"Oh come on," Laxus proclaimed with a slight slur in his voice. "That's bullshit."

"I told you, she's vicious," Freed said with a tipsy laugh. "It's why she always wins her fights."

They had gotten drunk. Well, maybe not drunk. But they had passed tipsy.

After they'd taken shots of the tequila, something that Laxus hadn't done since he was in college, they had both finished bottle of high percentage beer each. That was when they had turned on the TV, looking for something to watch to put off sleeping. That was how they had gotten where they were: sitting side by side on Freed's bed, a bowl of hot nuts, chips, and chocolate between them, watching The Real Housewives of… somewhere.

"She threw a plate at the guys face," Laxus argued. "It's bullshit."

"It's what she's paid to do, be stupidly annoying and start fights with people. It was probably staged anyway, so I wouldn't worry about it," Freed argued, reaching into the bowl of food between them. His head snapped up when the woman on the screen threw a champagne glass at the man she was arguing with.

"Bet that hurt," Laxus said with a grin. He was winning this argument.

"You can't be sure," Freed said indignantly.

"I can throw a mug at your face and we can see if it hurts ya," Laxus threatened with a grin.

Apparently, the alcohol in Freed's body had made the false threat hilarious, as he let out a loud and boisterous laugh. Laxus joined in, watching the shorter man as he almost doubled over as he laughed, the handful of food dropping onto his bedsheets.

"How often do you watch this crap," Laxus asked with a grin.

"Ever makes me watch it. Every night we went to one of our dorms common areas and watched something. Ever got obsessed with it, and then got Bickslow into it too," Freed laughed, shifting himself so he was sitting up again. "I would have complained about it, but Bickslow used to make me watch awful kids' films, so this is better."

Again, Freed started to laugh, and Laxus found himself unable to resist the charm of it and joined in too.

That was how they spent quite a lot of the night, eating the snacks that Bickslow would be overcharged for while watching crappy reality TV. They got a little bit more sober as time went on, as the only thing left in the minibar was champagne and they weren't going to be so cruel as to make Bickslow pay for that as well.

Part way through the night, Laxus had taken note of how close they were to each other. Their sides were pushed together, shoulder to shoulder and thigh to thigh. In his drunken state, Freed also seemed to be just a little bit more physical. He gesticulated a lot more, and Laxus often found himself with the other man's hand on his shoulder when he was making a point. At one point, Freed had even grabbed Laxus' wrist to get his attention, and it sent a thrill through Laxus that set his blood on fire.

On their third episode of rich people fighting, Laxus found his gaze on the man beside him. He was watching the show with contentment, a tipsy smile on his face as he made comments about the people on screen. It was endearing, and Laxus was left with an equally happy smile.

His smile faltered when Freed's did.

For a second, Laxus had thought that the other man had noticed him looking and was uncomfortable with it. But he didn't move away and Laxus realised he was now almost glaring at the TV. Laxus looked towards it to see that they were on the 'next time' part of the show. One of the women was shouting at a man, and it took a moment for him to realise that she was accusing him of cheating.

"He cheated on me," Freed commented, with a smile that was most likely sad. "My ex, not the man on the screen."

"Oh," Laxus mumbled, not sure of what else to say. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Freed sighed, closing his eyes. "I shouldn't be sad about it; I don't understand why I am. I wasn't in love with him, I'm not even sure if I particularly liked him by the end of the relationship. I was actually going to leave him, for heaven's sake. So I shouldn't feel bad that he found someone else, but I do."

"Well," Laxus began again, not sober enough to think of anything eloquent to say. "He cheated on ya. It's a shitty thing to do. You get to be pissed off at that."

"I suppose so," Freed sighed, almost as if he was disappointed in himself. "What does annoy me is how it happened, though. I didn't walk in on him, or find out myself. He just told me," He laughed bitterly at that. "Just sat me down, said he was seeing someone else and that we weren't together. I didn't get to be a dick about it, really. I didn't yell, or really react at all. It just sort of ended, and then I came back home again."

"Should have punched the fucker," Laxus commented indignantly. "Sent him to the other guy with a black eye."

"It wouldn't have been productive," Freed waved the idea off, eyes still closed. "It's a tempting thought though, I must admit."

"You can punch me if you wanna. Get it out of yer system, y'know," Laxus suggested, and it was clear the booze in his blood had made him suggest that. Freed looked to him with a small smile.

"You're far too good a man to be compared to him," Freed commented.

Laxus blushed a little at the compliment, even if it wasn't much. He looked down at the man, who was watching the TV and clearly trying to act like he wasn't affected by what he had just said. But even drunk, Laxus could tell that the man had lost his easy posture and his hands were clenched at his sides. Laxus frowned at this, reached for the remote and muted the show they were watching. Freed frowned and looked up at him.

"I'm sorry the bastard cheated on ya," Laxus said with as much seriousness in his tone as he could show. "I know that you said you wanted to leave him, and that ya think it's stupid you feel bad about it, but the guy betrayed ya. And you didn't deserve to feel like that, or to be treated like that. So, I'm sorry."

"As I said, you don't need to worry about it," Freed said with a sigh. "It's not your fault, and I'll get over it."

"But you shouldn't have t' get over it because you shouldn't have been cheated on," Laxus said with an insistent tone in his voice. "I mean if I were dating a guy like you, I wouldn't even think about looking at other guys. I mean who fucking would. Yer hot, you're and interesting, and know how to make a guy enjoy himself. Who wouldn't want that?"

"Well, it seems that my ex disagrees with you."

"Then he's stupid," Laxus said firmly. "Seriously, this guy is clearly a dick head. Because if he looks at you and thinks he wants something more, or different, then he's an idiot. Cause you're fucking… just look at yourself. Can't think of anything I'd change."

"Oh," Freed said, a little shocked. Was he blushing as well? Probably not. "Well, thank you. That… that's nice of you to say. I appreciate it."

Freed turned and looked towards him, and only then did Laxus realise just how close they were to each other. Their noses were almost touching, and Laxus' mind screamed to him that it would be easy to close the gap and press their lips together.

"Well, I mean it," Laxus shrugged.

With the booze flowing through him, and his good sense all but gone, Laxus listened to the voice in his head. He pushed his face forward, cupped Freed's face, and kissed him.


	5. Day Five - Friends To Lovers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the group finally arrive at the Grand Canyon, the awkwardness of the night before is obvious, and a conversation appears on top of the RV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Friends To Lovers'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Five – Talks at The Canyon**

"Okay, what is up with you two?"

Laxus looked towards Bickslow with a guilty expression. He had hoped that he'd hidden the awkwardness between Freed and himself better, but obviously he'd failed. In retrospect, Laxus probably should have been suspicious when Bickslow insisted that Freed be the one to fill the RV with gas this time, rather than doing it himself. Still, just because Bickslow knew about how awkward he was behaving, it didn't mean Laxus had to explain why.

"What d'you mean?" He asked, voice a little too timid for his liking.

"I mean you two slunk out of the motel room this morning and wouldn't even look at each other, and you've not spoken to each other all day," Bickslow listed off, and Laxus realised they really hadn't hidden their awkwardness well. "So what exactly happened?"

"It's nothing," Laxus insisted.

"Bull crap," Bickslow snapped. "Look, if you two had a fight or something you can't keep it a secret. Ever's gonna get it out of ya if I don't, so you might as well tell me now."

That was probably true, both of his friends were annoyingly talented at getting information out of someone when they needed to. But Laxus felt it was probably for the best that he kept the events of last night to himself, and accomplished that by looking straight ahead out of the front window in a childish attempt to bore Bickslow to a point where he would leave him alone. Bickslow raised both of his eyebrows in disbelief at Laxus' actions, waiting.

They both sat in silence for a few moments, and Laxus almost thought that he had won. Bickslow let out a huff of annoyance, and Laxus practically prayed that the man would leave him alone so that he wouldn't have to relive what he'd done.

"Laxus," Bickslow said in a slightly pleading voice; he too was being childish then. "We're gonna be at the canyon today. It's gonna be really awkward hiking around a big hole if you two are arguing. I can't even make big hole jokes because I'll be scared of making things worse somehow. Just tell me."

"It's…" Laxus thought for a moment. "I did something stupid."

There. That was something. Perhaps it would placate the man.

"Stupid how?"

"Just stupid," Laxus sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration.

From the corner of his eye, Laxus could see that Bickslow was looking at him with more concern than interest now. Maybe it was best to tell him; the guy was pretty sympathetic when he wanted to be. Hell, the only reason they were on this road trip was because he wanted his friends to feel better. Maybe he could offer Laxus some advice.

"I kissed him last night," Laxus admitted with an exhale.

"Oh," Bickslow said, and he was clearly not expecting that. "And… he didn't kiss back. He pushed you off?"

"No, he kissed back," Laxus closed his eyes as he spoke.

"And that's bad because…"

"We got drunk, raided the mini-bar," Laxus confessed, and he saw Bickslow's brow furrow at the admission, but he didn't say anything. "We watched crap TV and then started talking. And he told me that his ex'd cheated on him, that's why they broke up, and that he's feeling crappy. And I was kinda buzzed, y'know, I kinda…"

"Kissed him?" Bickslow finished.

"Yeah, basically," Laxus sighed. "I mean I said some shit about how I would have treated him if I were him, and how he didn't deserve to get cheated on. Then I kissed him, and he kissed me back."

Bickslow seemed to be thinking, as his gaze went a little distant. This had always been something that Laxus had appreciated about the other man; even despite his hyper personality, he was actually quite a thoughtful person, and Laxus knew that he was thinking of the best thing to say. And any advice that he might have would probably be helpful, even if the feeling of waiting for him to say something was making Laxus feel sick.

"Right," Bickslow eventually said. "Well, kissing a guy while drunk isn't your best move, it's probably not your worst either. I mean if he kissed ya back then he's probably interested, and he's been stealing glances as much as you have. What happened after?"

"I pulled away, went back to my bed, turned my back on him and pretended I was asleep," Laxus muttered.

"Laxus," Bickslow snapped, and slapped his bicep.

"I ain't proud of it," Laxus tried to defend himself. "But it was just like, when I kissed him I got sober. Like someone poured cold water over me. And I realised that I barely know the guy, that he just got cheated on, and that the last thing he's gonna want is some random guy kissing him. and then being trapped with the same guy for days."

"You think maybe he might have had an opinion on that?" Bickslow asked incredulously.

"I panicked," Laxus groaned. "I was embarrassed. I felt like I took advantage of him or something. Shutting myself off seemed like the best thing to do."

"Well you're gonna have ta talk about it, baby," Bickslow said soothingly. "Because if you don't, you're gonna end up regretting it, and the rest of the trip is gonna be really fucking painful for us all. Especially the two of you."

"I know," Laxus sighed.

He glanced out of the window to see that Evergreen and Freed were talking outside, no doubt having a similar conversation, and Laxus deflated slightly. He would talk to the other man, because he really would regret it if he didn't. It had been quite some time since Laxus had felt like this with a man, and he knew better than to just throw the feeling away because of embarrassment, and that he shouldn't give up.

And when Freed happened to glance up, and they caught each other's eyes before both turning away, Laxus knew that he had to talk to him soon.

* * *

"It's erm," Bickslow began. "It's kinda breath-taking."

"It is," Evergreen said, and both Freed and Laxus nodded in agreement.

They had arrived at the Grand Canyon, and had been given the unhindered view of the landscape. They could see it all, and the cloudless blue sky only added to the majesty of the place. There was something oddly humbling about the view, as if it were putting everything into perspective for Laxus, and the blonde couldn't help but release that his embarrassment about the previous night was so utterly stupid that he physically cringed at himself.

He had turned his back on the man. Literally looked away from him because of his stupid decision to kiss him. He had acted like a damn kid in a crappy high school TV show. It all seemed so pathetic now, Laxus could barely handle it.

His gaze fell on Freed again.

God was he handsome.

"Well, we ain't getting any younger, so we better start walkin' if we wanna get around the place by the end of the day," Bickslow proclaimed. "Come on Freedo Justineo."

"Oh please don't start calling me that," Freed requested, and Laxus jolted at the sound of his voice.

"You and I are gonna forge ahead and leave those assholes in the dust," Bickslow grinned as he slung an arm over Freed's shoulder. "Because Ever is stupid and she decided to bring only heeled shoes to a damn canyon, and Laxus is a muscle head who doesn't have any stamina and he'll be exhausted by the time we're out of the parking lot. So off we go, into the pit."

Bickslow was marching off, essentially dragging Freed with him, before the man could make any real complaints. That left Laxus with Evergreen, who was looking at him expectantly. When he glanced down, he noticed she was wearing flat shoes.

"Those ain't heels," He commented.

"So you're not completely stupid," Evergreen said, a little harsher than Laxus liked.

"What's that tone for?" Laxus asked indignantly.

"You kissed him, didn't say anything for the rest of the night and then pretended to be asleep," She huffed, crossing her arms. "You even turned the damn lamp off. What were you thinking?"

"I was drunk," Laxus tried to explain.

"You've been drunk a lot of times around me and you've never been so stupid before," She chastised him, and Laxus had half a mind to walk off. He would have, had Evergreen not been right. "I get that you might have panicked, or that you even regretted it for some reason, but is that really the best thing you could think of doing. Just ignoring him isn't going to get rid of the problem, if anything it's going to put a massive focus on it because of how much effort you're putting into ignoring it."

"I know," Laxus groaned. "And I'm gonna talk to him about it. Gonna apologise to him."

"And say what exactly?" Evergreen asked.

Laxus hadn't actually thought of that. After speaking with Bickslow, the rest of the trip to the canyon had been spent convincing himself that he had the courage to speak to the man despite the bubble of nervous embarrassment that filled him when he so much as looked at him. He had been so focused on getting the courage to say anything to him, he had almost forgotten that what he said to him had to be meaningful and impactful.

Evergreen apparently saw the struggle Laxus was going through, and her posture changed to something less annoyed. She placed a hand on Laxus' arm in a comforting way, patting it softly. Laxus was glad she didn't seem angry at him anymore.

"What am I gonna say to him?" Laxus mused aloud.

"I don't know," Evergreen said carefully. "But I think that, before you start thinking about that, you need to be sure of what you actually want with Freed. If you wanna be friends with him, go out with him, never see him after the week ends. Because if you don't know that then talking about it isn't going to help anything."

Laxus knew that. He knew he had to know what he wanted. And he basically did know what he wanted. But he probably couldn't have that, because of one big problem.

"The guy was just cheated on-"

"I know," Evergreen interrupted. "But I'm not asking you what the gallant thing to do is. I'm asking you what you, Laxus Dreyar, want with Freed. What the ideal end to the week would be for you."

Laxus sighed to himself. "I'd wanna be with him, I guess. But I don't have a clue if he's ready or not-"

"That's his problem, Laxus," Evergreen assured him. "If he wants to start dating someone or he doesn't, that's nothing to do with you. But if he is ready, and I think that he might be, then you need to let him know you're interested. He's not broken, and he's not fragile. If anything he's pissed off, partly about being cheated on and partly because he knew exactly why you closed yourself off last night."

"You think?" Laxus asked, deflating.

"He's a smart guy, Laxus. Smartest one here," Evergreen shrugged. "Look, I'm not saying that you have to have a wedding planned out or anything, but I think it'll be good for you to think about what Freed might be for you. And now's as good a time as any to think, because as nice as this place is, walking around it is going to get very boring very quickly. So just take today, think about what you want, and think about how you're going to tell Freed about it. The rest is up to the two of you, okay?"

"Okay," Laxus nodded.

He already knew, in his gut, what he wanted from Freed. Now he just had to convince himself that it was the right thing for the both of them.

* * *

It was dark now, but they were still at the canyon. Multiple lights illuminated the landscape, and stars shimmered down on them all. Laxus looked at the RV with a small amount of trepidation, nerves bubbling in his stomach as he walked forward.

All day he'd been thinking about what Evergreen and Bickslow had spoken to him about. He'd thought about what he might want with Freed – if it could be something serious or casual, if it was just a crush he could get over or something bigger than that, if he could get past the embarrassment of the previous night and get over his pride to explain that sometimes, when it came to his emotions, he was a fucking idiot. His entire mind had been a mess of possibilities, and most of the day Laxus had felt almost sick.

And then an image stuck him, and image of a possible future. He thought about him and Freed, watching TV together in a similar way they had the night before. They were sharing a pizza, and when Freed leaned up and kissed him, Laxus had kissed back happily.

After that, more possibilities hit him. Each just as tempting as the last.

The two of them at the beach. Freed would have been reading for hours, and Laxus would have slung him over his shoulder and taken him to the water, making some joke about how he wanted the man's attention.

Or the first time it snowed in Magnolia one year. They might have gone to a Christmas market, eating the Russian food that was served and enjoying themselves.

Or a lazy breakfast together, eating in Laxus' kitchen side by side as they struggled to keep their eyes open.

It was then that Laxus had been left with no doubt, and all his questions had been answered. He didn't want something casual with Freed, he wanted a full and loving relationship. It wasn't just a crush, it was more akin to infatuation, and Laxus didn't care that he had only known the man for a short time. And he didn't give a damn about his pride because Freed was worth more than Laxus' dignity. And hopefully, if Freed knew that Laxus wasn't just an emotionally incompetent idiot, he might give him a chance to make his desires come true.

All he had to do was approach the man.

They had all decided that, after spending the day hiking, they would spend the night at the canyon's parking lot. As the night was still warm, Freed had chosen that he would read his novel outside. Well, that's what he claimed, what he actually meant was he was going to read on the rooftop of the RV. Taking a breath to steady himself, Laxus took the ladder in hand and climbed it.

"Hey," He greeted, and Freed looked towards him. "Mind if I join you?"

"By all means," Freed made a motion towards Laxus.

After stepping off the small ladder, Laxus shifted so that he was sitting beside Freed. If the man looked radiant in the sunlight, he looked positively gorgeous in the moonlight. The darker and cooler colours seemed to just accent everything that was perfect about the man. From his striking features to his slightly paler than normal skin, it all seemed to be just a little more beautiful in the moonlight. It made the conversation Laxus wanted to have both harder to start, and more important to have as soon as possible.

"Look, I just wanted to say, I'm sorry for what happened last night," Laxus began. "Not that I kissed ya. Well, kind of actually. Not that I'm sorry about kissing ya, more that I'm sorry I kissed ya in the way that I did. That's not what I'm trying to say. What I'm trying to say… what I need to say is…"

Laxus cussed himself silently. He had known what he had wanted to say, how come it was so hard to get the actual words out.

"I think what you need is a minute to gather your thoughts a little better," Freed said, a pleasant teasing tone in his voice.

"Yeah," Laxus nodded. "Sorry, I thought that I knew what I was gonna say. Turns out I don't."

Freed chuckled, placing the book down and turning so he was looking at Laxus face on, sitting cross legged with a patient expression on his face. Laxus wasn't entirely sure that he had earned such an expression, given how he had treated Freed the night before, but Evergreen had insisted that Freed understood his actions and wasn't angry at him. Well, nothing that he couldn't fix if he acted quickly at least.

"Okay, what I meant to say was, I'm sorry I kissed you in the way I did last night," Laxus began after thinking for a moment. "We were both drunk, and my judgment wasn't great. You had just been pretty emotionally vulnerable with me, and for some fucking reason I thought it was the right time to try and kiss you. And I'm sorry about that."

"You don't need to-"

"I do," Laxus cut him off, making eye contact with him. "Look, I ain't good with feelings and crap. I normally get panicked and awkward, and I apparently sometimes do stupid stuff like this. And the only reason I can get away with it is because people call me out on my bullshit. You seem like the kinda guy who can do that, so don't be kind when you don't need to."

"Asking me not to show restraint can be a dangerous thing, Laxus," Freed said with a chuckle in his tone. "But I understand that. I have a habit of closing myself off and not discussing things. Bickslow's words, not mine."

"They been givin' you the third degree today too?" Laxus asked.

"They're annoyingly good at it, aren't they?" Freed laughed, before smiling at Laxus pleasantly. "I do forgive you, Laxus. Admittedly, ignoring each other isn't what I would have wanted the end of our first kiss to be, but I can't deny I've done idiotic things when overwhelmed. And I understand it, so don't worry yourself about it."

"Thanks," Laxus nodded a little.

He looked towards the other man, and felt something of an ache in his stomach. The fact Freed could forgive him in such an understanding way made Laxus feel warm inside in a way he couldn't describe. In Laxus' past attempts at relationships, often his clumsy attempts at understanding and dealing with his emotions had left to arguments. Rightfully so, Laxus knew that in hindsight. But the fact that Freed was willing to understand that it hadn't been malicious was something of a comfort that Laxus couldn't help but crave more of.

"There's a little more," Laxus confessed. "It's erm, well, the reason I acted like I did after I kissed you is that, well, I didn't just feel like I'm taking advantage of you. It felt like I kinda, I dunno, wasted my first kiss with ya," Laxus blushed, and averted his gaze. "I don't… the kiss wasn't just a drunk impulse. It's erm… it's something I wanted to do while sober but didn't have the balls."

God, he really needed to get better at talking.

"And the fact I kissed ya at such a bad time, kinda scared me. Because if I was thinking I'm a dickhead for kissing you at that time, I thought you'd think the same and-"

Freed interrupted Laxus' ramblings by leaning over, cupping Laxus' chin with his thumb and finger, and bringing his closer. Laxus' eyes widened, and a moment later he was being kissed.

It was magical.

Laxus' memory of their drunken kiss was hazy at best, and was overshadowed by the regret and embarrassment. But in this moment, he felt engrossed by Freed. As if the two of them were the only people of importance, and he was almost overwhelmed by the sensation of Freed. The movement of Freed's lips against his chapped ones, the calloused hand on his thigh Freed was using to keep balance, the sight of the man's eyes closing softly in a fluttering motion.

At the movement, Laxus closed his own eyes and allowed himself to be dragged further into the lure of Freed's kiss. It was perfect.

When they eventually pulled apart, they both were a little breathless. They kept their faces only an inch apart, and Laxus was blushing slightly. He had kissed Freed while sober. Freed, the man who had captured Laxus' attention and seemed reluctant to let it go, had just kissed him. And it had been perfect.

"Does this mean that-" Laxus began, but Freed shushed him with a smile.

"We can discuss things after the trip is done," Freed promised. "Right now, I think we've earned the right to enjoy each other."

Freed was kissing him before he could argue. Not that he would have anyway.


	6. Day Six - Tarot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a date is forced on two men, a bet is made at a carnival, and Laxus is forced to attend a tarot reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Tarot.'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Six – A Carnival Reading**

Bickslow had claimed it was an accident, but Laxus called bullshit. To Laxus, this seemed as though it was Bickslow and Evergreen's way of giving their new relationship their blessing. But Laxus didn't particularly care, because he had woken up sharing a relatively small bed with Freed, arm wrapped around the man's waist while pulling him close, and the man nuzzled into his chest as he slept. And, although Laxus had no intention on trying, he couldn't think of a better thing to wake up to.

With a soft smile, he shuffled slightly and pulled Freed closer. The sleeping man hummed and moved his head, revealing a small smile on his face.

This was rather a charmed life, and Laxus could get used to it.

But that was wishful thinking. They'd had their first sober kiss only a day prior, and it had exhilarated Laxus to a point no other relationships had. After that, they'd spent some time atop the RV's roof, Laxus looking up at the stars while Freed continued his book. That too had been exhilarating in a way Laxus couldn't put into words. After that, they'd eaten with Bickslow and Evergreen, spoken about how they were something of a couple but hadn't yet put a label on it, but they certainly weren't platonic.

Their friends had been supportive of that. They knew both men weren't the most emotionally vulnerable people, it seemed.

And now Laxus had woken up in the small double bed at the back of the RV, with Freed in his arms. Seeing as the man was sleeping softly, Laxus leant down and pressed his lips against the crown of Freed's head, smiling down at him.

"That was adorable," Evergreen's voice cut through the silence, and made Laxus' head snap up. He didn't think she was awake. "I didn't know you had it in you to be sweet."

"Shut up," Laxus groaned, voice a tired croak. He quickly glanced through the rest of the RV and his eyes settled on Bickslow, who was curled up awkwardly in the passenger side seat snoring and drooling onto the pillow he was spooning. He was glad that only Evergreen had seen that, as Bickslow would have gone into an overly dramatic meltdown. Which would have woken Freed up and ended the situation.

Huh. Laxus really meant it when he said he cared more for Freed than his dignity.

"I won't say anything more," Evergreen said with a smile. It was annoyingly kind. "I just think its nice. Besides, after you fell asleep we took loads of pictures," Laxus glared at her, and she laughed. "I'm joking. Well, I think so. I fell asleep before Bix so you might want to check."

"Thanks for the warning," Laxus said softly, perhaps sarcastically.

"Well, I'm only really being nice because I have something else I need to tell you," Evergreen said with a small trace of guilt in her tone. "I found that we're pretty close to a well-reviewed circus carnival, and I mentioned it to Bickslow. As you can guess, we're spending the day there."

"Why d'you need to butter me up for that?" Laxus said, not aware that he was running his hands through Freed's soft hair.

"Well, Bickslow made it pretty clear that we'd be leaving the two of you alone," Evergreen sighed. "Essentially, we're forcing you on your first date. Which might be a tad annoying to your plan of not putting labels on what you are."

Laxus glanced down at the sleeping man in the bed with him, and smiled softly. While they were taking things as they came, it certainly wasn't a bad thing that they would be spending the day together.

"I'm sure we can handle it," Laxus said softly.

"You're a hero," Evergreen laughed quietly. "Well, since you're awake now, I'm going to go for a little morning walk. See you later; oh, and keep up the kisses because it's adorable."

If he weren't wrapped around Freed, he might have thrown the pillow at the woman's retreating figure. Instead he did his best to raise his middle finger at the woman without moving Freed to a point where he would awaken. Evergreen let out a quiet laugh as she left the RV, leaving Laxus as the only person awake in the truck. As he was essentially alone, he looked down at the man wrapped up against him.

Freed really was a man of many faces, all damn appealing. Right now, his contented sleeping expression was pretty damned cute. But the night before, on the roof of the RV, he had been more handsome than any man Laxus had laid eyes on. Even the smug and cocky expression he had given Laxus when challenging him to a race at the waterpark had been hot.

It was really quite unfair that he got to be that attractive in that many ways.

"Urgh," Freed murmured quietly, and Laxus looked down at him with an expression of quiet contentment.

"Morning," He greeted.

"Morning," Freed parroted, eyes fluttering open softly. He smiled when he made eye contact with Laxus. "Well you're rather cuddly, aren't you?" Freed chuckled, but cushioned the tease with a soft kiss against Laxus' jaw.

"People always get shocked by that," Laxus commented quietly. "I've never understood why."

"Oh I fully expected you to enjoy hugging, why else would you have a body like this," Freed chuckled, moving slightly so his head was level with Laxus'. "I just expected that being in the presence of the human embodiment of annoying gossip might make you a little hesitant."

"With another guy, maybe," Laxus said the words before he could think. Was that too far for their relationship?

"You're charming too," Freed replied with a soft chuckle. "I thought that was going to be my thing."

"I gotta keep you on yer toes somehow," Laxus said with a grin. "Speaking of, Ever warned me that Bix's been plotting and apparently they're taking us to some carnival or something, and they're gonna ditch us and basically put us on a date together. You okay with that?"

"Of course," Freed nodded a little, and his nose gently traced Laxus'. "Spending time alone with you is quickly becoming a pastime of mine that I love, so you can safely assume I'll enjoy any dates we might go on. Forced on us or otherwise."

"I'm glad," Laxus smiled, jutting his chin forward so he could press his lips against Freed's in a chaste kiss. It sent a shock through him. "And I'll get to kick your ass at carnival games."

"Rather cocky attitude there, Laxus," Freed chuckled. "Misplaced, too."

"You said something similar when you challenged me to the water park race," Laxus grinned. "And remind me, who's got their lock screen as a picture of them on a waterslide screaming like they're about to piss themself."

"True, but in a carnival, you can't repeatedly push me into water and trip me up just to get your way," Freed said with a good-natured smile.

"You're really underestimating how much I like winning," Laxus grinned. "But if your so confident, we can make a bet."

"You truly are a competitive man, Mr Dreyar. I like it," Freed chuckled. "How about the loser pays for our first real date, and the winner choses what the date is."

"Sounds fun," Laxus smiled, leaning down, and pressing their lips together.

It was a slow and somewhat sloppy kiss, and both men melted into it without any difficulty. Laxus brought up one of his hands to cup Freed's cheek, smiling as the man in his arms pushed further into the embrace. Even in his half-awake state, Laxus felt a thrilling rush of excitement flow through him. Freed really did have some kind of effect on him that he couldn't describe, nor did he care to try. Because that moment was perfect.

Well, it would have been perfect. But then they heard the sound of Bickslow's phone taking a picture, followed by a loud cackling.

* * *

"I feel this is what Bickslow's mind must be like."

At Freed's comment, Laxus let out an undignified snort. The two men were walking side by side in the carnival, looking forward at the large and flashy spectacle before them. Multiple stalls lined a long pathway leading towards a circus tent, of which Bickslow was dragging Evergreen towards. Past the tent were large attractions and rides, each blurting out energetic music. It was somewhat overwhelming, but was helped by the fact the mass crowds had yet to arrive.

"I always thought it'd be a nightclub," Laxus commented, grinning. "A really loud and tacky one."

"I can see that," Freed agreed, and Laxus felt a chill run down his spine as Freed's hand grazed his own. "I haven't been to a carnival like this in years. The town I grew up in used to host one once a year."

"You used to enjoy it?" Laxus asked, looking down at the other man with a smile.

"Not exactly," Freed said with a chuckle. "It only started when I was a teenager, and I deemed myself too educated and adult to enjoy myself. So I mostly spent them in my bedroom reading, and wishing death on the people who turned the music up so loud that I could hear it half a mile away."

"So you were an edgy teenager huh?" Laxus asked with a teasing grin. "You know if you had a goth phase then you have to show me pictures so I can laugh at ya."

"Fortunately, I didn't," Freed said with a smile. "But the same goes for you. If you've any embarrassing childhood photos then it's required I see them."

"That's fair, I guess," Laxus nodded. "But don't think I didn't see what you just did. I asked for goth pics, you asked for embarrassing pics. So if I show you anything embarrassing, you gotta compensate."

"I had hoped you hadn't noticed that" Freed chuckled good naturedly.

The two continued walking down the row of stalls, eyeing the food vendors. It was a little after when they usually ate lunch, and they had decided that they'd get something to eat before playing any of the games or visiting any other attractions. That way there were nothing to distract them from the bet they had made, and neither man could blame their losses on being hungry. Laxus paled a little when Freed suggested that, as feigning weakness from hunger had been an option if he lost at a game he should have won.

After eventually settling on a food vendor with sweet smelling meat wafting from their stall, they had a quick meal and further discussed the rules of their gamble. They would both play every game available in a clockwise pattern, and would work with a points system. In the event of a draw, they would flip a coin.

The first game they played was an archery range, which was relatively simple. Laxus had gone first, claiming he had earned that by winning their race at the water park. He had done okay, managing to hit the target with each of his arrows, though with a wide range of points. He ended up with sixteen over his four arrows, which was a serviceable score. But the look on Freed's face told Laxus that the man was confident that he could win.

He did.

He got eighteen points, and even Laxus could see that there was a lot less luck in Freed's performance. Laxus would have focused on that, had he not been distracted by the confident posture, determined expression and flexing arms as he pulled the string back and took aim.

"That was," Laxus began when Freed returned with a satisfied expression. "Kinda hot, honestly."

"I'm glad you think so," Freed said, and his voice was just slightly deeper than normal. He leant forward so that their faces were almost touching, but stopped just short. "Consider it a consolation prize, as I'm winning."

The smug expression on the man's face drove Laxus almost as crazy as his teasing had. And he could do was let out a muttered 'asshole' before following in his footsteps.

They continued making their way through the games at a leisurely pace, playing each of them and teasing each other as they did so. They fell into a quick pattern where the winner of the individual game would flaunt their victory in a flirtatious and teasing way, and the loser would have to stand there and take it. Laxus felt a rush every time, because the ease at which he could be his competitive self with the other man shocked him. The fact Freed was just as confident in himself was an added bonus.

None of his past attempts at relationships had been like this. In fact, he had been so busy trying not to show the more flawed side of himself that he often forgot to be himself. With Freed, it felt like the inverse of that.

After the archery game, they had moved onto a game where they had a minute to score as many points with a basketball hoop. They had been relatively evenly matched, but Laxus' high school year as a basketball player gave him an edge. He gloated his victory by rolling up his sleeve and flexing his bicep, with a teasing 'these ain't just to look at' aimed at Freed. He didn't miss the other man's smirk at the movement.

Next was a game wherein you threw darts at balloons, and each balloon you popped had a certain score inside of it. They had five darts each, and Laxus managed to win that too. He had wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders and made a gloating show about how he had won two games in a row, and Freed had not.

The next game had them both aiming water pistols at moving targets. The person who inflated their target's balloon fasted would win, and Freed proved to have better aim. Rather than gloating, he had twisted his water gun to the side so that a cold splash of water hit Laxus on the side.

"I'm gonna get you back for that," Laxus promised, grinning.

"Why," Freed feigned innocence. "I thought you might need some cooling off. Losing that badly got you rather heated."

"So, you thought I looked hot, huh?" Laxus said, crossing his arms.

"No," Freed said, not shying from Laxus' gaze. "I thought you looked warm. You looking hot is a… continuing issue."

Laxus grinned at the compliment, but shunted his own water gun to the side so a stream of water hit the other man. Freed let out a small noise of protest, but laughed it off as the owner of the stall asked them both to move along for the next customers. Laxus wrapped an arm around Freed's shoulders as they walked, and murmured into his ear.

"You looked pretty hot yourself," He said with a grin.

"I'm aware," Freed snarked back, and Laxus laughed with a grinned.

This was new as well, the ease of flirtation. It was ridiculous to think that a day ago, Laxus had been beating himself up for the idea of having some kind of crush on Freed, and now he was openly calling the guy hot in public. It was a testament to how comfortable Freed had managed to make him, Laxus supposed.

As they walked to the next stall, they noticed how different it was. Whereas the others were open and painted with bright colours, this stall was a small purple tent with dark colours and candles surrounding it. A sign beside the door claimed 'Mistress Cana Alberona's Tarot.' Laxus rolled his eyes.

"You don't believe in fortune telling?" Freed asked, apparently having seen the eye movement.

"Nah," Laxus shrugged, then looked down at Freed curiously. "Do you?"

"No, I think it's absurd. The idea that some cards magically know the intricate futures of everyone, or the fact your personality and what you'll do is written on your hand is ridiculous," Laxus chuckled a little at Freed's dismissal of the subject. "For whatever reason, it seems like everyone I know believes in it though."

"I know," Laxus grinned. "Ever once dragged me to a psychic. We got kicked out when I found her 'one of a kind crystal ball' on Amazon for twelve dollars."

"A merciful escape for you, then," Freed smirked.

Laxus agreed, but was then struck with an idea. He reached into his pocket and fished out a coin, flipping it in the air and catching it quickly. He covered it before he or Freed could see which side it had landed on, and looked to the other man with a challenging smile. Freed looked back at him with confusion.

"Heads or tails," Laxus demanded. "You get it right; I'll get a fortune. Get it wrong, you have to get one."

"Okay," Freed nodded. "Heads."

Laxus revealed the coin, and deflated at the sight of a clear head facing upwards. Freed sent him a grin that rivalled Bickslow's for its enjoyment of suffering, and he had the balls to pat the man on the shoulder in a faux comforting way. Laxus looked at the tent with a pained expression; he really couldn't be bothered to deal with the overly dramatic lies of someone with a deck of cards and an inflated sense of self-importance.

"Have fun," Freed taunted, giving him a gentle push towards the tent.

All but trudging towards his destination, Laxus placed the money in the bucket outside and rolled his eyes at the overly mysterious sounding demand that he enter the tent. He walked in, and saw a heavily cushioned room with a low table, and a woman mainly covered by purple scarves sitting at it.

They weren't scared of stereotypes, it seemed.

"Hello, lost one," The woman greeted, still forcing a weird voice. "Take a seat, my child."

Laxus did as he was told, biting his tongue when he realised that he was probably older than the woman performing the reading. He was glad this wasn't a palm reading, having a stranger grope at his hands would be too weird.

"You wish to have your unlived days laid before you?" The woman asked.

"Sure," Laxus said without enthusiasm, not entirely wanting to play along.

"You don't believe in this stuff, do ya," The woman asked suddenly, her voice a lot more normal now. Laxus, momentarily shocked by the sudden change in atmosphere, took a second to reply.

"Not really," Laxus shrugged. "Made a deal I'd come here though."

"That's fair," The woman said, and started to remove the scarves from her face. She was certainly younger than Laxus. "You don't mind do you. This place is hot enough without the candles surrounding it and the scarves. You have no idea how sweaty it gets."

"No, that's fine," Laxus said, at a loss for words when the woman pulled a beer from behind one of the cushions and took a swig from it.

"Okay, so you don't believe in this stuff, so there's no reason to lay it on thick," She said after taking her drink. "But you did pay, and just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it's not true. So, you wanna do this without all the added on stuff that makes the experience better, get it over and done with?"

"I guess," Laxus frowned. He wasn't entirely sure what was happening.

"Okay," The woman began, picking up her tarot deck and shuffling it like a poker player. "I'm gonna spread these you, you have to pick three. Usually I'd say there's spirit guardians guiding you, which there is but I doubt you'll care about that. Once you've picked them out, we'll turn them over and I'll explain what they mean. First individually, then as a whole."

Laxus nodded in understanding and watched as the woman laid out the cards in a smooth curve. With more care than was probably needed, he looked over the cards before picking three of them at random. Or maybe it wasn't random. Maybe it was a spirit guide.

He almost laughed at the thought.

Watching absently, Laxus saw the woman turn the left most card over, revealing an image of someone in odd clothing standing at the end of a cliff.

"The fool," The woman explained, and Laxus felt slightly offended by it. "Each card has a wide range of interpretations. In its most pure form, it can mean you'll make an ass out of yourself soon," Laxus glared at the woman for that. "But in a more spiritual sense, it speaks of a greater acceptance of the self. You will embrace the fool within you, becoming more of your real self and less burdened by your anxieties. You will find that you don't second guess your actions. You'll be as much a fool as you need to be."

Laxus almost scoffed, and tried to ignore the fact he had been considering just how much his interactions with Freed were devoid of his second-guessing nature. He didn't say anything as the woman turned the next card.

"The sun," She commented. "In its most literal sense, it means brightness is coming to your world. There will be light and growth and nurturing in your future, a new sense of happiness perhaps. But it also means the start of a new cycle. Rebirth if you will. It seems to be that you might be starting a new chapter in your life."

It was annoying, but Laxus found himself wondering if Freed would play a big part in this new chapter. He remained silent as the final card of his choice was flipped over.

"The world," The woman said, and she was smiling now. "This can mean a lot of things. Often it's further a signifier of growth and nature. But it also means that the world is literally open to you. New pathways, new experiences, a new life. That's all coming towards you, and coming soon."

"So, err," Laxus began, embarrassed that he was even entertaining the possibility of this being real. "What do they all mean together."

"I think something big's happening in your life, and pretty soon. It might have already happened. Something life changing. Something that'll open up a whole new world of possibilities, that restarts your life with something new, that allows you to be your true self in a way that you've never been before. Maybe it's an event, maybe it's a revelation or an epiphany. Maybe it's a person. But you're in for some change, and I think it's for the better."

Laxus mind forced him to think of the man waiting outside of the tent for him. The handsome stubborn man that had already had an affect on Laxus that nobody else had. The man who allowed him to have fun, and seemed to energise Laxus in a way he couldn't describe.

Maybe Freed was the change in his life.

He dismissed the thought instantly; this whole this was pointless, and wrong. He bid the woman a goodbye, and started to leave the tent. Even with his surety that fortune telling wasn't real, Laxus couldn't help but notice the similarities of what he'd been told.

Not could he help the smile that those similarities caused.


	7. Day Seven - Casual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which driving at night is revealed to be pleasant, the group are invited to have a meal, and the promise of a date is made by the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Friends To Lovers'
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Chapter Seven – The End of The Week**

Laxus realised that he liked driving at night.

He didn't know exactly what time it was, but it was far past midnight; he would guess sometime after two in the morning, but he couldn't be sure. He was the only person in the RV awake, with Evergreen sleeping against the table, Bickslow in the bed again (Laxus had tried and failed to remind him that it was unsafe) and Freed in the passenger side seat slumped over. He had turned the radio on low, some late-night talk show where people were talking about their problems with short jazz breaks between the calls, and it was an overall nice feeling.

Given the days where they'd stopped off when they should have been driving, they had decided that they should attempt to drive through the night to get back in time. Laxus had offered to take the night shift, and had spent the day sleeping while Bickslow drove. He had expected it to be a chore, but he was enjoying it quite a lot.

Perhaps part of that was because he got to see Freed sleeping soundly beside him.

The other man had been asleep when Laxus had woken up in the evening, and the sight was damn endearing. He had an airplane pillow around his neck, and a blanket covering his body. Laxus was almost certain Bickslow and Evergreen were responsible for this.

He would have to thank them later, because it was really fucking nice to see the man bundled up in blankets, sleeping softly and almost snoring. Laxus couldn't stop himself from glancing towards the sleeping man, a soft smile on his own features. It was almost stupid how much Laxus enjoyed the other man's presence even when he was asleep. Laxus wasn't going to think too hard about it, there was no point.

All he had to do was keep driving.

It took about an hour of driving after Bickslow had fallen asleep for Laxus to spy slight movement in Freed's chair. He shifted slightly, let out a tried yawn and then allowed his eyes to open. As the road was empty and straight, Laxus allowed himself to watch the display with a somewhat dopey grin on his face.

"Mornin' sleepyhead," He said with a smile.

"Morning," Freed croaked, looking at the pillow around his neck with confusion; Ever and Bix had been responsible then. "What time is it?"

"Early," Laxus said with a grin. "Go back to sleep, Freed. You'll be exhausted."

"I doubt it," Freed said as he removed the pillow and cracked his back in the seat. "I fell asleep about an hour after you did."

"I didn't realise that you were tired?" Laxus glanced to his side.

"I wasn't really," Freed smiled as he spoke. "I thought you might get bored on your own, and that you might want some company."

Laxus was almost embarrassed by how warm that made him feel inside. He'd never really been with someone who might have done something like that for him, even if all Freed had actually done was go to sleep a little earlier than normal. The fact that Freed had even thought about doing that left the man feeling almost loved. Of course that was ridiculous, given that they'd known each other for less than a week and had been seeing each other for a day and a half.

"That's nice of ya," Laxus admitted, cheeks a little red. "You didn't need to."

"Nonsense," Freed said passively, waving off Laxus' comment. "I rather enjoy spending time awake at night. I think it's peaceful," Freed seemed to think for a moment, then spoke again. "No, that's not right. I do enjoy the night, but I did this because I wanted to spend time with you alone. I enjoy being around you and talking with you."

Laxus glanced at him, frowning slightly. He wondered why Freed had said that.

"Sorry," Freed said, seemingly noticing Laxus' confusion. "Erm, one of the reasons my ex left me, apparently, was that I tended to be emotionally unavailable; his words. But I understand why he thought that, and I don't want you to feel the same way. I feel very… I don't want to mess this up, because I like you a lot. So, I wanted to make a conscious effort to let you know that… I do appreciate you. I'm not particularly good at that, though."

"Hey," Laxus said with a slight laugh, smiling at the man softly. "Never apologise about giving me a compliment. The only time you should feel sorry about that is when you've inflated my ego and made me unsufferable."

"I'll be sure to keep a check on that," Freed said with a laugh.

"Smart," Laxus nodded. "And don't let that asshole get in your head. If you wanna give me compliments then I'm not gonna complain, but don't force yourself to do it. I ain't the kinda guy who needs to be told how great they are every five minutes."

"That's nice of you," Freed said, and he was smiling.

"Don't mention it," Laxus shrugged. "And, I mean, you really think a guy like me needs to be told how great he is," He then grinned, looking over to Freed. He winked, and would have cringed at the stupidity of his action, but Freed laughed at him. "Have you seen me?"

"I have," Freed said with a smirk. "Though I hope to see more of you."

Laxus averted his eyes, and his grip on the wheel tightened as his cheeks reddened. Freed laughed openly at the look of embarrassment, and Laxus silently cursed the other man's ability to be smooth with his ridiculous lines. All he could do was look at the near open road before him and the stars beaming down on them.

"Fucking suave shit," Laxus murmured.

"I'd apologise," Freed said with a smirk. "But I feel as though you might enjoy it more than you let on."

"You've really got a reply for everything, haven't ya," Laxus grinned as he switched lanes to overtake a truck.

"I'm afraid I do," Freed shared Laxus' grin. "That's not a problem, is it?"

"Not at all," Laxus grinned.

After that, they fell into a steady conversation, the tiredness of the night not affecting them. It was an easy-going conversation, focusing on nothing in particular. They flittered from topic to topic, one moment speaking of their favourite albums and why they liked them, and discussing their high school life the next. On that topic, Laxus again had requested a picture of what Freed looked like as a teenager, and the other man had outright said no. He was blushing when he did it, so Laxus was pretty sure it was embarrassing.

He would have to work on that.

As the conversation turned to their favoured type of fast food, Laxus was struck by how casual this was. After becoming… less than platonic, they hadn't had time to relax as just the two of them. On the roof of the RV, overlooking the canyon, they had both been riding the high of their kiss. The next day, they had essentially been on their first date, and as easy as that was, it wasn't devoid of some anxiety.

But this was just the two of them, sitting together on their own (essentially) and talking. And it was nice. There was something comforting about it all and Laxus found himself enjoying this just as much as he enjoyed their stupid competition at the carnival yesterday.

He enjoyed them for different reasons, but enjoyed them both equally.

And when time passed, and they were given an unhindered view of the sun rising in front of them, Laxus felt almost weak with emotion. And, for perhaps the firsts time since meeting Freed, he didn't care that they had only known each other for a short time. Because Laxus was feeling what he was feeling, and at that moment he was thinking that Freed could be something special.

That was a great feeling.

* * *

"Did you kids have a nice time?"

Laxus didn't know how long Makarov had been waiting outside of their house, but he was ready to greet them all as the RV drove up his street. The short man waved at the group as they approached, and Laxus couldn't help but groan in embarrassment; the old man loved making a spectacle to annoy his grandson. Bickslow playfully chastised him, stating he should respect his elders. All Laxus could do was glare at him.

"Yeah we did," Bickslow grinned, leaning out of the window. "We went to a big dry hole. It was like Christmas for the amount of innuendoes I could make."

"I shouldn't have expected anything less," Makarov laughed. "I expect you haven't eaten any real food since you left, do you all want some lunch? I've got a curry cooking, and more than enough for all of you."

Laxus went to speak, but Ever beat him to it. "That'd be lovely. And you can meet Freed."

Laxus glared at her, climbing out of his seat. Evergreen gave him a smile so cruel it reminded him of just how large a sadist she could be. He would have gotten some sort of revenge on her, but instead looked towards Freed with a slight worried expression.

Given their decision to keep their relationship devoid of labels, he worried that Freed wouldn't be ready to meet Laxus' family. It was one thing to be coerced into going on a date together while they're being casual, it was another thing entirely to have Freed meet his parental figure. But when he looked to Freed, the other man was smiling at him. Apparently he had expected Laxus to have such a reaction.

"We should get better friends," Freed eventually said, smiling.

"Yeah," Laxus agreed. "You okay with this?"

"Of course," Freed nodded. "Although, someone once tried to give me the shovel talk once, and I responded by saying 'I could easily kill you before you kill me.' The man wasn't pleased with that."

"Gramps ain't the shovel talk type of guy," Laxus shrugged. "And if you did say that I think he'd respect ya for it."

Freed chuckled, nodded, and left the RV.

As they walked into Laxus' home, Freed introduced himself to Makarov politely. Thankfully, Ever and Bix seemed to be not entirely evil, as they assisted the introduction by listing off many of Freed's achievements and good traits. He could almost forgive the troublesome bastards, had they not sat at the table in a way that forced Freed to sit between Laxus and his grandfather. He kicked them both, so they knew he was aware of what they were doing.

Makarov was thankfully unaware of their sniggering, Laxus' annoyance and Freed's apparent amusement of the situation. The older man was at the top of his step ladder, spooning curry and rice into bowls for them all. When he turned back around, he was grinning.

"So tell me about your time away, kids," Makarov requested, smiling.

"It was good," Laxus spoke before anyone else. "We had a couple of stops on the way, which is why we're a day later than we said we'd be. But it was fun. Nice to have a break."

"I can imagine," Makarov smiled, taking a seat and looking at Bickslow and Evergreen. "And how has college been. It feels like months since I last saw you?"

"It's good," Bickslow said over a mouthful of rice. "Tougher than I expected. When everyone said that it'd harder than school, I thought that it meant the stuffs not as easy to understand. Not that there's a fuck load more of it."

"Then this break has been well earned then," Makarov claimed with a wide, fatherly smile. "Where did you stop off on your great trip across the country then?"

"A couple of places," Laxus shrugged. "Past a waterpark on the way there, so spent a day there. There was a pretty nasty night, so we slept at a motel. Had a couple meals at truck stops and diners so we didn't have to eat Bickslow's crappy cooking every day," Bickslow let out an exclamation at that. "And we went to a carnival on the way back, which was fun. Played some games, ate crappy fast food, watched a show."

"Someone even managed to get your grandson to see a psychic," Evergreen said, mischief in her tone while looking directly at Freed, who rolled his eyes with a smile.

"They must have been quite convincing," Makarov commented, apparently not noticing how Evergreen had hidden her real intent behind her words. "I remember the time I texted a psychic and Laxus spent a whole day ranting about how it was a waste of money."

"I guess he was pretty convincing," Bickslow said, grinning, and Laxus gave him a warning glare. "Though, he did have an advantage that the rest of us don't."

Even Freed smirked at that, and Laxus practically pouted. He had hoped the other man would be his saviour in some way, and would not enjoy what they were doing. Apparently he had been betrayed even by him.

"What did they say," Makarov asked Laxus. "You going to meet someone tall dark and handsome?"

Evergreen barked out a laugh, Freed raised an eyebrow at Laxus while smirking and Bickslow opened his mouth to say something that would inevitably be some kind of reference to Freed and Laxus' budding relationship. Laxus quickly stamped on the asshole's foot, which caused him to let out a loud and undignified squeak. Makarov looked up at that, looking over the group of people with suspicion. Laxus groaned and leant on his hand.

"What am I missing?" He demanded, and Laxus crumpled.

"I think I can probably explain," Freed was the one to speak first, and Laxus glanced at him form under his hand. "Your grandson and I kissed two days ago, went on a date yesterday, and have basically been flirting since we met," He said it in such a matter of fact voice, and it made Laxus have butterflies in his stomach. It was ridiculous, but he was grinning. "These two seemed to find great joy in seeing how close they could get to angering Laxus to the point where he punches them."

"So, are you my grandson's boyfriend then?" Makarov asked Freed, face enigmatic. Laxus cringed slightly.

"We haven't discussed that yet, but I like to think that I will be soon," Freed said, looking at Laxus with a smile.

"You would?" Laxus asked, a stupid level of hope in his voice.

"Of course I would," Freed said with a nod, and the butterflies in his stomach increased tenfold. "As you yourself said earlier, you're great. Why wouldn't I want to be your boyfriend."

A feeling of giddiness entered Laxus, so much so that he didn't care Freed had revealed the arrogant comment Laxus had made in their morning together. If the two of them were alone, he would have leant over and kissed the hell out of the man. But, as they weren't, he settled for ducking his head in embarrassment and bumping his leg against Freed's in a show of both appreciation and reciprocation. Freed seemed to understand what the gesture meant, as he smiled and nudged Laxus back.

Makarov took a moment to look over the two men, before grinning wide in encouragement. He didn't say anything other than 'well it's nice to meet you' before letting the topic drop and go onto how Evergreen was handling her college course. The old man did smile when he caught his grandson sharing a smile with the object of his affections.

After that, the meal went by without incident. They spoke more in depth about what had happened during their week off, and Bickslow had teased both Freed and Laxus for their unsubtle glances of each other before they got together. Even Makarov had barked out a laugh when Bickslow animatedly explained how ridiculous they had been at the waterpark, sneaking glanced at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Laxus hadn't kicked him this time, Makarov already knew how much of a disaster he could be around a guy he liked.

Once the meal was finished, the group of them left the kitchen and walked to the truck. Laxus removed his bags from the storage space as Bickslow and Evergreen climbed back into the RV, Evergreen making a comment about giving him and Freed privacy to say goodbye.

"Fuckin hate them," Laxus shook his head.

"Well, I suppose we wouldn't have met without them, so we can't hate them that much," Freed chuckled. "So, will we see each other soon?"

"Yeah, yeah I think so," Laxus nodded, smiling a little. "I mean I lost that bet to ya yesterday. You still have to make me pay for a date."

"That's true," Freed said, smiling also. "You've been annoyingly humble about that loss, I must say."

"I'd rather have to pay for a date then have all my socials be covered in a pic of me scared out of my damn mind," Laxus taunted with a grin, and Freed rolled his eyes.

"Do you ever intent to let that go?" He asked.

"Oh god no. You'll die before I let you forget," Laxus grinned.

"Well, if that's the case then maybe the date I want is to watch you go down that slide time after time for a full twenty-four hours," Freed smirked with crossed arms. "What would you say about that?"

"I'd say you wanna see me in a swimsuit again," Laxus flirted back, raising an eyebrow. Freed chuckled.

"Can you blame me?"

"Guess not," Laxus shook his head. "I mean, Bickslow told me you wear a speedo when you swim for working out, and I wanna see that."

"I will kill him," Freed said with a shake of his head. Laxus chuckled, and they caught each other's eyes again, and smiled. "What about coffee? For our first real date. No pressure or expectations, just something a little casual."

"Coffee sounds great," Laxus nodded.

"Good," Freed nodded. "I should mention that, as you're paying, we'll be going to a five star restaurant and I'm going to buy the most expensive blend and pour it down the toilet about a hundred times, one time for each of those comments you've made about that fucking picture. Is that okay?" He finished with a grin.

"It's a date," Laxus said, matching the expression.

Freed turned to leave, but Laxus grabbed his hand and tugged the man towards him. He tilted his head down and pressed their lips together, kissing him softly and wrapping his arm around Freed's waist. The other man brought his hand to Laxus' cheeks and leant further into the kiss, making Laxus melt into him.

"How does Monday sound?" Laxus asked into the kiss, and Freed chuckled slightly.

"Sounds perfect," Freed replied, leaning further into the kiss and placing a hand on the back of his neck. After a moment, he pulled back, resting their foreheads together while ignoring the wolf whistle from inside the RV. "See you soon, then."

"See ya," Laxus nodded.

They shared a glance and a smirk as they pulled apart. Freed climbed into the RV, leaving Laxus on the driveway with a stupid grin on his face and his bags at his side. Just before he closed the door, Freed gave Laxus a stupid wink in exactly the same way Laxus had done earlier in the morning. It made the blonde's stomach flip.

And it was in that moment that Laxus realised something. Freed was going to be the first man he'd fall in love with.


	8. Day Eight - Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which two men wake up early in the morning, they climb aboard a superior form of transportation, they speak over a cup of coffee, and revisit the Grand Canyon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was written as part of @Fuckyeahfraxus's Fraxus week. This chapter is based off the prompt 'Proposal' This is the last part so I hope you all enjoyed the fic
> 
> As always, thank you so much for any comments and kudos you leave. They mean so much. And I've got a [Tumblr.](https://eryiss.tumblr.com/) Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

**Epilogue – The Defining Term**

_**Three Years Later** _

When Laxus woke up, it was in the bed he shared with Freed in their apartment. Under the covers was a mess of limbs, and Laxus had apparently chosen to use the other man's chest as an impromptu pillow. He had the mans torso wrapped up in his arms, and when he blinked up at the blurry figure above him, he saw Freed attempting to wake up with as much difficulty as he was. He smiled sleepily at the sight.

"Morning," Laxus greeted, pushing himself off his lover's chest and sitting up.

"Morning," Freed repeated. He reached over Laxus to pick up his phone and turn the blaring alarm off.

Laxus let his back rest against the cool wood of their headboard, the covers dropping from him as he ran a hand through his hair to slick it out of his eyes. He watched Freed as he rubbed his eye with the back of his hand and reached for a hair tie, pulling his hair into a messy ponytail. It was clear that the early morning was affecting Freed more than it was Laxus, and the blonde had to grin at that and nudge the other man with his knee.

"You can't be pissed off at waking up early when it's your idea," He laughed, voice a little groggy.

"I'd agree with you, but I think right now I'm proving quite clearly that I can," Freed commented, sitting up beside Laxus. "I was always led to believe that my body would adjust to waking up early. Why hasn't it?"

"Guess you're just hardwired to be cranky," Laxus teased. "We can sleep in tomorrow, I'll get ya some coffee."

Freed thanked him, blinking the sleep out of his eyes as Laxus left the warmth of their bed. He shucked on the leopard print robe – which he wore both for the comfort it brought and the annoyance it caused in Freed – and trudged out of their bedroom and into the kitchen where he had prepared coffee in the percolator the night before; Freed hadn't exaggerated his distaste for being awake in the morning, so Laxus had been cautious.

The two men had been living together for about a year and a half. Their Magnolian apartment wasn't anything special. One bedroom, a kitchen-living room, a bathroom, and a tiny balcony. It was close enough to Freed's school that he could drive there, and directly above Laxus' gym. It wasn't much, but it was good for what they needed.

He flicked on the coffee machine to reheat the drink, walking to the kitchen pantry. He shifted a few boxes of protein assistants he knew Freed never moved, to pick out a small wrapped package and a single cupcake. He picked up a birthday cake candle that went unused before returning to the countertop. He made quick work of pouring them both a large mug of coffee, placing them on a tray along with the package, a butter knife and the cupcake, candle lit.

"Feeling any more awake?" Laxus asked as he nudged the door open with his foot.

"Not particularly," Freed groaned, before looking to Laxus with confusion.

"Happy anniversary," Laxus said in explanation, grinning.

Freed smiled at that, watching as Laxus placed the tray at the foot of the bed and handed him a mug of coffee. Laxus was quick to join Freed in the bed again, their shoulders pressed against each other. He picked up the cupcake and raised the candle to Freed's mouth to blow it out, which Freed did with a fond shake of the head and smile.

"Happy anniversary," Freed said, resting against Laxus.

"I know we said we ain't doing presents," Laxus said as he picked up the package. "I know we've been saving for the trip, and we agreed not to. But I just… I don't know, I thought you'd like this. It was cheap, so you can't get mad," Freed chuckled, picking the package up.

The two of them had been planning their anniversary trip away for a year. They had discussed going away for their second anniversary, but hadn't had the money. Laxus had quit his office job so that he could put all his focus into growing his personal training career, and Freed had taken an extension on his student loan so he could continue his studying at law school; he'd changed his major after his first year and wanted to see it through. Once they had discounted the option, they had promised each other that they'd save up and go away for the next one.

There had been some discussion as to where they could go, but they eventually settled on an idea: The Grand Canyon. The fact it was in the country meant they didn't need to pay for flights, and they could use their money on a luxury hotel and good food. And it felt right, returning to the place where they got together on their anniversary.

"You really do know how to charm a man, don't you," Freed grinned as he started to unwrap the present.

"You fell for me, so I'm doin' something right," Laxus laughed.

Freed removed the paper from the gift, revealing it to be a small framed picture. It was of the two of them from three years ago, sleeping in the back of the RV in each other's arms. Their sleeping faces were content, and their foreheads were resting against each other. It was one of the many pictures that Bickslow had taken of the two the night after they'd gotten together.

Laxus glanced up at Freed to see the man smiling softly at the picture. He rested his head against Laxus' shoulder and smiled. "Thank you."

"It's nothing," Laxus shrugged but smiled. "Happy anniversary," He repeated in a whisper.

"Happy anniversary."

They moved in sync, bringing their lips together in a soft kiss. They had gotten a lot better at understanding each other's movements in the three years of being together, but the spark that ignited when they were together hadn't subsided.

Eventually, they pulled away from each other. Freed seemed a little annoyed, but Laxus took delight in reminding him that it was he who had chosen they get the early train meaning that they didn't have the time to lounge around with each other; or do something a little more… active with one another. Freed had glared at him for that, and all Laxus had done was wink and flex his bicep to further annoy the man.

Cutting the cupcake in half, they ate it in place of a real breakfast and promised each other they would eat on the train. It was a quiet moment between the two of them, a silent moment of domesticity. Laxus had grown to adore those moments after moving in with Freed, however fleeting they might have been.

"I suppose we should start waking up properly soon," He said after they'd eaten.

"We should," Freed agreed, nodding. "Thank you for the coffee, and the gift."

"Yer welcome," Laxus said with a smile.

He leant down and pressed their lips together again, this time in a chaste kiss. He pulled away with a smile, looking at his lover with adoration in his eyes.

"Love you," He murmured.

"Love you too," Freed smiled, leaning in for another kiss.

* * *

"This is the first-class cabin," Laxus said, frowning. "We meant to be in here?"

"Of course," Freed said, stepping further into the train.

"I thought we were just getting regular seats."

Laxus looked around the cabin. It was smaller than the standard classes, and with nobody else inside of it. Each seat had a table by it, all with cloths, complimentary coffee, and a breakfast menu. Freed handed Laxus a ticket while walking to a seat near the middle of the cabin, and Laxus looked to see that they were indeed booked into first class. This hadn't been something that Laxus had been told about, and he frowned a little.

"Can we afford this?" Laxus asked, sitting opposite Freed. "I mean, it's great, and I ain't gonna complain, but I didn't know-"

"It's a thank you," Freed said with a smile. "I know that my studying and work has been making me stressed, and sometimes irritable. And you've been incredibly patient with me, especially when you've started your own business. So, although we agreed that all the tips I made wouldn't be part of the vacation savings, I made sure to save about half of them. So, fair warning, there might be a fair few surprise that you'll face throughout the week."

"You didn't need to do that," Laxus said softly, though he was flattered and couldn't help but smile.

"I didn't," Freed agreed. "But you're my boyfriend, I love you, and I fully intend to spoil you whenever the opportunity presents itself."

"Thanks," Laxus said, ducking his head in embarrassment as he often did. To recover, he gave a smirk and spoke with a mischievous tone. "Does that mean that, when you become a famous big city lawyer to millionaires that I'm going to be spoiled every day. Because if not, you're gonna have to deal with a really bitchy trophy husband."

"So long as you keep your legs like tree-trunks and your abs well-defined, I'll keep spoiling you," Freed teased back.

"That's all I ask of ya," Laxus laughed.

As the train started to move, Laxus looked out of the window while giving Freed a small nudge with his foot under the table; a silent sign of appreciation for what Freed had done. It had been quite quick in their relationship for them both to realise that Laxus used small physical gestures to show his appreciation for the man. Bickslow had once claimed it was a type of love language, and explained that the ways people showed affection ranged and that Laxus wasn't the type to use his words, particularly in public.

Laxus didn't particularly care for the weird social sciences behind it all. All he cared about was that Freed knew that with these small nudges, brushes against him, and tapping on his skin was his way of showing the man he loved him, and he was thinking about him.

He seemed to understand that, and nudged Laxus back in response.

The train ride was, as expected of being in a first-class cabin alone, luxurious. They were given a complimentary breakfast of bacon sausage and eggs, which had been given to them just as Laxus started to feel a sense of hunger. The coffee and juice they had been serves had been delightful, as had been the silence of the cabin. Laxus was glad he'd gotten over the slight motion sickness he got on trains, plains and boats, as he wouldn't have enjoyed this nearly enough if he was fighting off vomit.

As their empty plates were taken away, Laxus almost made a joke about how easy it would have been to get to the canyon three years ago if they'd taken the train. But then he was reminded of just how much had happened over that week, and the comment died on his tongue and he was wrapped up in the memories of their road trip.

Getting to know Freed, their shared kiss atop the RV, their date, the flirting at their stops.

All of that could have gone if they hadn't made the week into a road trip. If they had spent the day at the canyon then chances were that he and Freed wouldn't have gotten to know each other. He wouldn't be in love with the man, and instead he would be some kind of fleeting memory of a guy that Laxus had found attractive but hadn't had the balls to have a real conversation with. He would be a stranger, not a lover.

Hell, Laxus' life would have been pretty damn different. Freed had been the one to encourage him to leave his job and focus on personal training. And Laxus wouldn't have been able to keep a place of his own, so he might have still been living with Makarov. He would likely be exactly where he was three years ago; discontented, bored, and essentially alone.

But that hadn't happened. He had gotten to know the man he loved, and he was now sharing a third anniversary with him. All these hypothetical situations were entirely useless, because he was living the best life he could right now. And watching Freed's content, gorgeous face as he assessed the passing views through the window just proved it.

In retrospect, he was damn glad they hadn't taken the train.

* * *

When Freed had said that there would be a fair few surprise throughout the trip, he certainly had meant it.

After they'd arrived at the hotel, they had been guided to the most expensive and luxurious suite the place had to offer; the bellhop had even claimed it was the honeymoon suite, a fact which made Laxus blush slightly. After they'd unpacked, they had walked down to one of many restaurants and Laxus had eaten the best steak he'd ever had. When they'd returned from lunch to their room, they'd slept for a little while – Laxus had almost melted into the bed – and had been awoken by someone calling their room remining them of their couple's spa appointment. This had consisted of a few treatments, and then a class on how to massage one another. Laxus hadn't realised how many knots he had until Freed's hand had worked them out.

He was somewhat concerned about how much everything costed, but he knew that Freed wasn't the type to spend money he didn't have nor wasn't willing to lose. And even on his wage as a waiter, he always paid equally on the rent.

And Blue Pegasus did get rich customers, ones who would fall for Freed's easy charm. He was probably flirting without knowing. The thought made Laxus smile.

After completing the spa treatment, Freed claimed he had nothing else scheduled for the rest of the day; other than the evening walk to the canyon itself, but that had been planned between them both beforehand. Rather than returning to their room again, they had decided to have a coffee at one of the bars that overlooked the relatively empty pools of the complex.

"Thanks," Laxus said through the silence. "For all of this. It's really nice of ya."

"You really don't need to thank me, Laxus," Freed said with a smile. "Sometimes, I think you forget that you deserve to be treated and spoiled. You often do these things for me that mean a lot more than you might think. You downplay all the things you do for me, and I think that you don't understand what they mean to me, so I just wanted to make it clear that I more than appreciate all you do, and love you for it."

"I think you're bein' too kind," Laxus laughed, unable to take a compliment.

"I'm not," Freed denied. "The amount of time's you've come to the library with food because you knew I had to study and wasn't looking after myself, and you didn't once complain. I know it was you who organised the weekly nights out with Bix and Ever when I was getting stressed. Even the fact that you gave me that picture today; you have no idea how… loved you make me feel."

"You sound like you're describing some rom-com character," Laxus laughed, again trying to deflect.

"One day you'll be able to take a compliment without being awkward," Freed chuckled. "What I'm trying to say it, I know all the things you've been doing. I understand that these things you do are how you show affection. And that I love you so much, and that you deserve to feel the same sense of love and comfort that I do every time you do these things for me."

Laxus didn't say anything, and Freed didn't push him. They both knew that the intention of Freed's actions was understood.

They sat at the table in a comfortable silence for a little while longer, Laxus with his leg resting against Freed's. He had taken his lover's hand in his own and was gently rubbing his thumb against the calloused palm. In this gesture, Laxus was trying to show as clearly as possible how much he cared for Freed, and how he appreciated him just as much as Freed claimed.

Freed simply knocked his knee in reply, a silent message saying his meaning had been understood.

"This might sound slightly weird," Freed spoke again after a while. "But I'm always reminded of you when I think about swimming."

"You are?" Laxus asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yes. It was at that waterpark when I realised that I hadn't been in love before," Freed began, looking out at the empty pools with fondness. "It was on that obstacle course. You had tripped and fallen on your face, and were so determined to win that you actually grabbed by ankle and dragged me down with you. And I looked over my shoulder and you had this ridiculous grin on your face because you were so cocky about what you'd done, and it just hit me. I just understood that I could feel so strongly about you, could be so reinvigorated by you, that nothing I'd had in the past would ever come close to you."

Laxus was momentarily stunned. Freed had thought so passionately about him then, on the third day that they had known each other?

"You've never told me that," He eventually said.

"Well, I used to be embarrassed by it because I barely knew you and I considered loving you. And it hasn't really come up since, but given the mood I thought I should tell you," Freed smiled a little then. "Also, right after that, you used my momentary lapse of concentration to push me into the water. Thus making me lose a bet, which you've been gloating about ever since."

Laxus chuckled, and grinned at the man. "You shouldn't make a bet you ain't willing to play dirty to win."

"I suppose not," Freed agreed.

"I knew I'd be in love with you on that week too," Laxus confessed, blushing a little. "I had a crush on ya when I first saw ya. But by the end of the week, I just had a feeling that one day I'd be in love with ya. Guess I was right."

"I suppose you were," Freed agreed, and they shared a private, lovestruck smile.

* * *

"I believe it was exactly here where we had our first real kiss," Freed said with a grin.

Laxus chuckled. The two of them were standing in the camping spot where, three years prior, Bickslow had parked up the RV. Just like three years ago, the sky was in the mid-section between the evening and the night, creating a soft orange that illuminated the impressive landmass before them. It was just as Laxus had remembered, both moving and humbling.

The walk towards the canyon had been one of the quiet moments Laxus loved. It was just the two of them in the open, with soft wind hitting them and cooling off the summer heat that had been battering down on them for the past few weeks. They had been hand in hand as they walked, relishing each other's company.

"The exact place, huh," Laxus said with a smile. "You seem pretty confident about that."

"Of course," Freed replied. "I have a good memory and I remember the exact position of the stars from where we had been sitting. And that was right here. Furthermore, the distance from the-"

"You're just guessing, ain't ya?" Laxus asked with a smirk.

"Yes," Freed admitted, grinning.

Shaking his head, Laxus pulled the man into a kiss. It was chaste and only lasted a moment, but they pulled apart with smiles on their faces. Laxus had always thought that Freed looked beautiful in the natural light, and the evening sun hitting their faces was a testament to that. The way his almost perfect skin glowed, the reflection in his eyes, the small quirk in his lips in a smile.

"You're so beautiful," Laxus mumbled, his nose pressing against Freed's. "I love you so fuckin' much."

"I love you too," Freed reciprocated. "I'm glad we came back here."

"Me too," Laxus whispered, pulling Freed into another kiss.

Rather than continuing the walk or returning to the hotel, they decided that they would spend some time sitting at the canyon and enjoying the view together. They walked closer to the canyon, climbing atop a large boulder, sitting with their legs dangling above the large pit. Their shoulders rested against each other, and the gentle wind that cooled them also gently ruffled their hair. The slowly setting son practically silhouetted them from behind, and it felt as though they were the only two people in the world at that moment.

The romance of the situation wasn't lost on the man, and he found himself resting his head against Freed's shoulder.

Freed's words from earlier in the day were still resonating in his head. Laxus had never been the type to do big grand romantic gestures, and although he'd gotten a lot better at speaking about what he felt and talking about his feelings, he would always prefer showing his romantic side in smaller, more subtle ways. The fact that Freed knew and appreciated that was such a great feeling that Laxus could hardly understate it.

Although, he had felt that Freed had been too harsh on himself. Yeah, the man had been stressed with his final year of school, but he hadn't been nasty with that stress. He's still tried to make Laxus feel loved, even on his worse days. That was something that Laxus wasn't going to overlook.

They were lucky to have found each other, and the thought made Laxus laugh a happy laugh.

"What?" Freed asked with a smile.

"Just thinking," Laxus shook his head. "About our relationship. And the fact it took us like eight months after we started dating to actually call each other our boyfriends. Especially since we both knew we'd be in love with each other the first week we met each other. Just crap at labels I guess."

"I suppose," Freed said with chuckle. "I've never really thought that labels were all that important, so long as we cared for each other and loved each other."

"Yeah, guess so," Laxus agreed with a smile, closing his eyes contently.

"Though, I must admit that I have come around to certain labels," Freed said, somewhat mysteriously.

Laxus waited a moment, expecting to hear a continuation of whatever Freed was thinking. When there wasn't one, Laxus opened his eyes. He looked at the mans face for a moment, to see that he was looking out over the canyon still. With a frown, Laxus' gaze fell slightly to their intertwined hands on the boulder, only to see something had been placed between them both. His eyes widened when he realised what it was.

A small, black velvet box, in which held an elegant obsidian ring.

"I should apologise for lying," Freed said, grin unhindered now. "I had one more surprise left for you."

"Is that a…" Laxus began, at a loss for words as he looked down at the ring glinting in the sun. "Did you… are you… I don't actually know-"

"I understand that you wouldn't want a large speech, that it would make you uncomfortable and clam up slightly, so I'll forgo that tradition," Freed continued, looking towards Laxus now, running his fingers over Laxus' knuckles. "But I just want you to know this. The moment I met you, I knew that you'd be the man I love. That has been more than true, and it would be a great honour if you chose to become my husband."

"You wanna-" Laxus asked, voice cracking with emotion. "I mean, just to be completely sure, you're asking me to marry you?"

"Really, you truly need to get better with compliments," Freed shook his head fondly. He leant forward, and their foreheads pressed together as Freed lifted the ring. "I am asking you to marry me, Laxus."

There was a beat, and then Laxus wore the biggest most dopey smile he had ever worn.

"Yes. Of fucking course I will," Laxus said in delight.

They were kissing a moment later, Laxus wrapping the man he loved in his arms a moment later in a tight and needy embrace. Freed laughed in the kiss, showing the same amount of glee that Laxus was feeling inside. He felt a giddy sensation flow throughout him as he leant further into his lover's kiss. His future husband's kiss.

When they pulled apart, they hardly moved, and that was only so Freed could carefully remove the ring from it's box and slide it down Laxus' finger. Laxus looked down at the black-stone jewellery, and it filled him with such a feeling of completeness that it physically made him ache.

"It's beautiful," Laxus whispered, then looked up to Freed with adoration on his face. "It's so fucking…" The words wouldn't come to him, and he didn't care. "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too," Freed whispered with a small laugh. "And I fully intend to love you for the rest of my life."

Overcome by emotion, Laxus brought their lips together again in a strong, emotional kiss. He brought Freed as close as he could, portraying everything he felt in a single, beautiful kiss.

As they kissed, enraptured in their own world, the sun set low on the canyon before them.


End file.
